The Days After the Darkness
by Avaleia
Summary: Rebellions threaten the fragile peace forged after the war. A dying Aang tries to come to terms about his relationship with Katara, while Toph and Sokka find themselves torn between freedom and prestige. The war has ended- but the battle is far from over.
1. Thirteen Candles

**Part One: Winter**

**Chapter One: Thirteen Candles**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

* * *

_Autumn had gone by like years._

_Her eyes, once a beautiful blue shade, had now faded into nothingness. They were dull like the cold leaves, dead on the ground._

_Her heart, once outgoing and gentle, was broken, cracked in so many places. The others were afraid to touch her, this woman trapped in an adolescent body. She looked frail, fragile, as if one touch would snap her in two. Break her like a crackling twig underfoot._

_She forced herself to look at his pale and motionless body. She forced herself to accept the fact that there was nothing she could do for him. _

_But he needed to live, she thought, he needed to live. She wished it so badly that it hurt._

_The wind chilled her heart, and the tears flowed freely._

_If only her pain was outside, like his. If only her wounds could be bandaged, like his._

* * *

"Happy birthday to you," the Waterbender sang, her voice a whisper. She lay by his side, a hand clutching his, as she motioned for the others to come forward.

They had made a small cake for him, but there was no point: he couldn't enjoy it anyways. They stood around his makeshift bed, staying optimistic for his sake, although the smiles on their faces were forced and fragile.

The little girl stepped forward, her eyes opaque, and her hands clutched a small stone figurine. Gently, she placed it besides the sleeping boy, her strong, brave facade fading slowly as she felt him breathe besides her.

"Happy birthday, Twinkleto- Aang," she mumbled quietly. The room was still, the air frigid and cold, and the silence was overwhelming.

Katara nodded, once, and Toph left his side. Sokka came forward, his eyes somber and still, as Toph receded into a corner, averting her eyes. She looked as if she were going to cry, although she was trying not to... Sokka had said to be happy, to celebrate.

"But there's nothing to celebrate," she thought, and looked at the warrior, who was murmuring something very quietly into the boy's ear, placing the small cake besides him. Aang was so lifeless, so motionless, so dead... but he breathed. He breathed, but he wasn't _alive_.

She turned away, she left the room. She couldn't stand it anymore.

"Toph left," Sokka murmured quietly to Katara, who nodded, watching the closed door with defeated eyes. She wanted to leave, too, but she held on to Aang's hand firmly, as if letting it go would cause him to let go of his life. She turned to her brother, who was standing over them with watchful eyes, but was obviously pained. He couldn't stand it either, the harsh reality. That Aang wasn't here for his thirteenth birthday, but was in the darkness. His soul was somewhere else.

"You can go now too, if you want," she whispered to her brother. Sokka nodded, but glanced at her, his mouth a line of worry.

"And you're staying?" his eyes seemed to ask, and she nodded, gripping Aang's hand for dear life. For his life.

"Yeah." _He needs me,_ she thought silently. Quietly, she leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on the tip of his tattooed arrow.

"Make a wish, Aang," she thought, looking back at Sokka, who nodded and left. She saw the small cake lying beside him, and tried to hold back the tears.

* * *

"You're not coming?" Mai asked. Zuko shook his head.

"Why not?"

Zuko slid the hood over his head, veiling his scarred face with a faint shadow.

"Mai, if you think that Azula would be any happier to see me, you've evidently spent too much time away from her."

Silence.

"The war's over. She's just been locked up, and you haven't seen her in ages. Don't you want to see how she's doing?" There was no reply; she hadn't expected one. "She's your sister. You're impossible sometimes, Zuko."

"So are you," he muttered under his breath, holding himself at a safe distance from the girl. Mai smiled half-heartedly, like she hadn't heard anything.

"So you're not coming to visit your sister?"

"Mai, I'm sorry."

"She can't do anything to you anymore. Honestly, Zuko."

"Next time, alright? I have to go," he muttered, and turned to leave.

"The war's over." She placed her hands on his shoulders to still him. "If you really resent Azula so much, won't it please you to see her behind bars?"

"I have other things to do."

He shifted away from her, but not before the dark-haired girl put a hand on his shoulder in a last-ditch attempt to get him to stay.

"Listen. If you're going to the army camps, let me go with you."

Zuko looked back at Mai, her eyes pleading.

"I'm sorry, Mai."

Mai stared at him quietly, regarding his words.

"You'd rather visit the army camp than Azula."

"Any day."

Mai's sighed.

"Another day, then. Zuko, if not for her, then for me."

"Mai, _I'm sorry_."

His eyes burned with supressed fury, but Mai kept her composure. She said nothing.

"You're saying I'd should visit my crazed sociopath of a sister than go see if the army's alright?"

"They're not Fire Nation troops."

"I wasn't fighting for the Fire Nation when the war ended-"

"But Zuko, you're its _prince _now."

He regarded her with a gaze that was sure to pierce daggers in anybody other than Mai.

"You sound like Azula."

He glared at her, and she shrugged.

"Think it over, alright? If you're going to the army camps, then go," she stated simply.

Zuko left.

* * *

The blind girl could still feel him dying.

Every breath he took threatened to give out.

She knew he was alive; she sensed his fragile heartbeat.

She knew he was dying. She felt it.

She heard it, in the older girl's sobs at night. It was quiet, soft, but she heard the crying. Toph heard the tears fall to the ground, and she heard Katara whisper at night, pleading for her best friend in the world. Toph heard the truth behind those tears.

The blind girl knew it, whenever she visited him. She touched his frail, broken bones and knew that they would never recover. She touched his mouth, and his lips, and tried to feel his smile again. The warrior knew as well.

The two of them talked together, they talked of the Waterbender, they talked about Aang. The warrior was strong, steadfast. She both admired and feared him, loved him and hated him. He had such confidence, such an air of superiority, when he knew nothing at all. And she resented him, because he wasn't the one that could feel so much and say so little. He wasn't like her.

But the warrior had said that his sister loved the Airbender more than anything else in the world. It was one thing he had known since the start, and she wondered why she hadn't felt it too.

She loved him, Toph thought, she loved him.

She felt the Waterbender's pain, and imagined loving somebody that much. And Toph never told Katara what she knew was inevitable.

It would break her heart.

* * *

"Hey."

Sokka mumbled something half-heartedly to Toph, and she nodded.

"Yeah. I feel him coming too."

The two of them went to meet Zuko. He had walked to the camp, a long mile from the Palace City.

"It's half empty. Why are you here?" Sokka asked, but he knew.

"I wanted to see if everyone was alright," Zuko muttered. Toph sensed his frustration, and wondered what he was angry about.

"Yeah, everyone's fine." She said. _Except for Aang_, Toph added silently.

"The Avatar too?" Zuko asked, looking around.

"Yeah." Sokka said, glancing at Toph warily. He had never really trusted him, even when Zuko had fought against his own father.

"Yeah." Toph repeated firmly. "But he's resting now."

"The Waterbender?"

"She's with him."

Zuko eyed the camp. They seemed to be the only ones here.

"Where are the others?"

"Long gone." Sokka said. He didn't like the idea of Zuko visiting while Aang was resting, and he could tell that Toph wasn't too happy about it either.

A stony silence filled the air.

* * *

_Singing, cutting through the dark-_

_An angel's singing to me._

_I don't see her face, I sense her voice-_

_And candles. __Thirteen candles._

_They blaze and the flames rise higher, beacons in the dark._

_And then t__he candles go out as quickly as they were set aflame._

_Darkness again. When you close your eyes and try to sleep,_

_It's that darkness, the kind that blocks out the light_

_But doesn't block out the noise._

_Maybe it's the tears. Maybe it's the c__rying._

_It floods the deepest corners of my mind:_

_A painful fragment of reality._

_It reminds me that here, wherever I am now_

_There's somebody. Somewhere._

_Her fingers light the candles,_

_Weaving dreams into this endless sleep._

_Then suddenly, reality. Pain sinks in._

_Her tears flow, and the flames die._

* * *

If you'd like to read more, reviews are appreciated! I'd like to know how I can improve.


	2. The Messenger Hawk: Part One

**Part One: Winter**

**Chapter Two: The Messenger Hawk**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender

* * *

_They stood there, an uncomfortable silence filling the air._

_Zuko took a last look at the camp and turned around._

_Now, there was no excuse not to visit Azula._

_Unless he stayed..._

* * *

"Hey, Toph," she said quietly. Katara had sat there for an hour at least, holding Aang's hand and watching him breathe. In, out, in, out... she had to force herself to look at his face, wishing that those eyes would open, that those soft lips would smile.

The blind girl was glad she couldn't see, because she knew she couldn't bear to watch the agony on Katara's face.

"Zuko's here," Toph stated quietly, her faint words breaking the silence. Katara looked up, her eyes narrowing in confusion.

"But... no. He's with Mai at the Palace City."

"No, Katara. He's here, and he won't leave."

Katara sighed quietly. "Well, why won't he?"

"Sokka's trying to tell him that Aang needs rest, but..."

Toph paused for a moment.

"Well, he wants to see him. And you. He won't go away until he does."

Katara looked at the boy, so motionless and weak. She halfheartedly turned to the door of the room, as if expecting somebody to enter.

"Tell him no. I don't care if he stays, he just needs to let Aang rest."

Toph shrugged.

"Well, it's your choice, Katara... but Sokka... he won't-" She didn't need to finish, because Katara knew what she meant.

The Waterbender's eyes fell on Aang's sleeping form. Up, down, up, down... his chest rose in a slow, steady pattern.

"Fine, then. Just for a while. Then tell him to stay away," she muttered, looking away.

* * *

The shrill cry of a hawk filled the quiet air.

Sokka watched it fly through the sky, its wings gracefully circling the sun.

Zuko looked up as well. "Messenger hawk. Fire Nation."

The wings dipped, and the hawk landed. Sokka stared at it, transfixed.

"Looks familiar, that bird."

* * *

Ming quietly stepped into the throne room, her head bowed.

"Fire Lord Iroh, your tea," she said, a smile in her eyes.

The elderly man winked at her and accepted the brimming cup. It was freshly brewed, from the finest tea leaves of the day, and he sighed contently.

"Ah, the only thing that makes life on this throne bearable," he said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "The only thing that would make my day is sign of my nephew."

"There is none," Ming stated. What an amazing change in her life... since the war ended, she had gone from lowly prison guard to a servant of the Fire Lord. "Servant is such a demeaning word," Iroh had said that day. "After all, amazing kindness must be repaid, and you have done more for me in prison than you could ever do for me as Fire Lord. You are not a servant to me, Ming, but a friend. A friend to the Fire Nation."

Now, the Dragon of the West bowed his head. "Prince Zuko, I know, has never wanted to ascend the throne after what his father did to him... but I will show him that I can set things right."

"You already have."

"No. We- _I_- have the duty of bringing prosperity back to the world. By repairing the damage the Fire Nation has done," he stated, putting his steaming cup down.

"Isn't that the Avatar's job?" Ming asked quietly. Their eyes met, and Iroh sighed.

"The Avatar is not in ideal condition as of now."

* * *

"Toph, hurry up!" Sokka's voice rang out in the deserted camp.

A frazzled Toph came running up, a strained look on her face.

"Shut up, you big-eared oaf!" she felt like screaming back. Only concern for Aang made her bite her words back.

"What now, Sokka? Your incessant yelling is probably the reason Aang isn't recovering!" she hissed, trying to ignore Zuko in the background.

Sokka motioned towards the messenger hawk, although Toph couldn't see a thing. She waited, annoyed, until Sokka got her point and moved closer to her ear.

"Hawky came back," he murmured, glancing sideways at the messenger hawk. "It's a message from your parents!"

Toph's raised an eyebrow, then folded her arms. "Read it to me, then. And tell Prince over there to leave."

Sokka sighed. "Katara said it was fine...?"

"Yeah. She said whatever, okay? Just read the paper!" Toph hissed back, a defiant look on her face. The Earthbender's glare was deadly, and Sokka would've obeyed whatever she told him to do with that look in her eyes.

"You can go visit Aang now, alright?" Sokka called to Zuko. The prince glared at him and walked on.

"He left, now read me the message!" the blind girl demanded.

"Hold on, hold on!"

The hushed argument went on, but before long, Sokka, with a triumphant rustle of the paper, unrolled the scroll and skimmed the letter.

"What, what? I'm dying of impatience here!" The Earthbender shouted in annoyance, stomping her foot on the ground.

Silence for a moment. "Read it!" she demanded, and he sighed. No reply.

"Fine then, I'm leaving. There's obviously no point-"

"You have to promise not to get mad when I read this, alright?" Sokka interrupted softly. Toph stopped, she understood that tone. It was the voice Sokka used whenever something went totally wrong.

"No problem. You said it was from my parents..." Her voice trailed off, and her eyes widened in realization.

Now Toph understood the severity of the situation. What if her parents were... dead?

No. Sokka didn't want her to get _mad_. She wouldn't get mad if her parents were dead.

But what if the Fire Nation... what if they killed her family?

She forced the thoughts back into her head, unable to accept that fact.

"Read it. Now." _Get it over with._

Sokka looked at her, an unreadable expression in his eyes, and began to speak.

* * *

"Five minutes. Then get _out_."

Katara glared at the Firebender with cold severity in her eyes. Zuko had joined the troops a few weeks before the invasion, and even after the war, Katara still found it hard to trust him. She didn't know why it was so difficult; Zuko had done nothing wrong since he joined their side, but after the fight in the catacombs, after he helped to almost kill Aang...

Well, it was hard to see any good in him after that.

They had talked to each other several times, Zuko trying to make amends, and Katara treating him with the most civility that she could muster. Zuko had won the trust of Aang, of all people, and Zuko had gone as far as to offer to teach him Firebending. But Katara had refused to let that happen. She cared about Aang too much to let him get hurt again.

Zuko looked at the boy lying on the mat, and then at the girl, who was looking at the boy with expressionless, unreadable eyes.

"Is he alright?" He managed. Katara glared at him.

"No, he's not. His bones are broken and he's unconscious. He had some internal bleeding and his burns are not recovering. Is that enough for you?"

The prince looked at the Avatar, lying still and motionless.

"That cake," he said to himself, but she heard.

"What about it?" she whispered icily.

The teenager looked at the boy, then the cake, then the carved figurine. He noticed that it was in the shape of a bison.

He saw the girl's fingers, curled tenderly around the boy's, and the quiet sadness in her face.

It was obvious. Even he, of all people, could see it.

The Avatar wasn't going to live.

She wasn't about to accept it.

And he, the Fire Nation Prince, had no business here. He turned to leave.

"It's his birthday, by the way," he heard Katara say behind him.

He turned back around. He had no present.

At least he was there, then. At least he was there.

"Happy birthday Aang." He muttered. Zuko felt the intense glare of her cerulean blue eyes, like daggers pressing down on his back.

* * *

_You are to return immediately to the Bei Fong household._

_You have put the family in disgrace. The entire neighborhood now knows of you. Blind, weak, they say. A dishonor to the Bei Fong name._

_But we, your loving parents, know how brave you are. We want you to come home._

_We want to show them all who you are._

"I don't believe them." Toph said after a minute's silence.

"Toph, they're your-"

"There are no neighbors. The Bei Fongs have their own property."

"I don't know, but-"

"I've already brought the family disgrace. They haven't noticed yet?"

"You wrote a letter to them, so they're writing-"

"Loving parents. Who are they _kidding_?"

She turned to the warrior, a defiant look on her face.

"They lied to me too many times. I'm not going to take it anymore."

The warrior saw strength and resolution etched into every nuance of the Earthbender's expression. Saw how she was unfaltering, unwavering in the face of authority. He didn't know how to contain this girl, because she could break through metal and earth and anything.

And this girl, though blind, could see through lies.

She kicked the dirt, sent it flying. It scattered in the air, specks of brown in the evening chill.

"What are you saying?" He managed, trying to keep a hold on her. She wrenched free.

"That I don't care, Sokka."

_I'm never going back again._

The chill of the evening enveloped them both until they were frozen in place, standing there for whatever reason.

Trying to forget.

* * *

Thanks for all the awesome reviews! It's more than I expected, though. Feedback for this chapter would be appreciated, too!

**A Look Into Later Chapters:** (I can't believe I'm writing this but) Zutaraness! Heartbreak! And if Aang ever wakes up again...

(P.S. Don't worry, Kataangers... there'll be more Kataang all the way!)


	3. The Messenger Hawk: Part Two

**Part One: Winter**

**Chapter Three: The Messenger Hawk**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender

* * *

_Disbelief coursed through her veins._

_She wanted to rip that message up, tear it apart,_

_Burn it forever._

_But it was there, in his hands._

_Of all people. She thought he would understand!_

_She hated them. _

_She hated their ignorance._

_She was like a beautiful bird_

_And they wanted to clip her wings._

* * *

For the first time in a while, Aang stirred. 

He was having a dream again, Katara thought. A dream. She let go of his hand and stared at him quietly.

Zuko had left a while ago. She had seen him out.

* * *

"Just ignore it! Send Hawky back and let them think I died, or whatever. I don't want to go back." 

"They're your parents, Toph. They care about you!" Sokka's voice was calm, collected, but there was something else in his voice. Toph couldn't quite make it out, so she took a wild guess.

"You want me to leave?" she shot back icily, her voice quiet in the dimming sunlight.

"No, of course not Toph, I just think that... you should visit. Just for a while." His voice was unwavering, soft.

Toph sighed and bowed her head. "I made it clear in the letter. I told them that I loved them, but I didn't want to go back!"

Sokka could sense the stress in her voice, and he sighed. The wind howled, and Hawky gave a shrill caw in the distance. How Toph envied the bird- majestic, beautiful, _free._ So unlike her, in so many ways.

The Earthbender stood there, head bowed, contemplating, until she glanced up at the warrior.

"Sokka?" 

The teenage boy turned at the sound of her voice.

"If you really want me to go back, come with me," she stated. The wind howled, and Hawky flew into the trees, to seek warmer refuge.

Sokka glanced at the Earthbender. How small she looked compared to the tall trees. How vulnerable and how weak she looked among the remnants of the camp. People could manipulate her, destroy her. She was so blind and so unlike the Toph he knew.

"I don't want to go alone. My parents will keep me there forever," she continued. "But if I could see them again, tell them that I loved them but running away was for the best..."

The sky was dimming, the air had grown cold, but the two stayed standing.

"Maybe they'd understand," She finished firmly.

Sokka looked at Toph again. Why did she seem so different now?

Her unseeing eyes, for some reason, could pierce his heart.

"Now that the war is over, now that we have nothing to do... Sokka, come with me or I won't go at all. I need a backup plan if they want to keep me there."

"I'm still not sure. Maybe we should ask Katara, she could go with you."

Toph laughed, a bitter, hollow laugh. It seemed as if the joy had gone out of her after that one message... or had it gradually been slipping away?

"Idiot. Did you think she would want to leave Aang?"

Sokka sighed and cursed himself for being so stupid.

After all, they both knew the answer to that question.

* * *

_"The sunset looks beautiful, Aang."_

_The Waterbender led the boy to the edge of the cliff. The sparkling blue waters below reflected the majesty of the crimson-gold sunset._

_"It is, it really is." He found himself saying. He gazed out into that golden horizon, into those rippling blue waves, and was reminded of her eyes._

_The gulls shrieked in the distance, and Aang felt a gentle hand on his shoulder._

_"The war's over, we can do whatever we want to now," the Waterbender whispered into his ear. He smiled, and faced her, faced that beautiful girl._

_"And to think, though... without the war, I never would've met you." She continued, a smile on her face. Aang sighed contently and tried to take in the beauty of it all- the sea, the gulls, the sunset, Katara..._

_Being unconscious really snapped everything else into perspective. _

* * *

"Katara, can I come in?" 

A weary Sokka had spent an hour or so trying to convince Toph to go visit her parents.

Alone.

The Earthbender had huffed and groaned and shrieked and hurled rocks at his head, but the warrior had remained firm.

He had always had the best of relationships with his parents, and ever since the war separated him from his mother and father, he was always so eager to see his family members again, always so willing...

But Toph, she was the exact opposite.

Sokka couldn't imagine hating one's parents so much. Now, if his father had told him to abandon the army camp and return home, he would've done so. It was practically expected of him.

Toph hated the idea of leaving. The idiot.

Strangest of all, she had also wanted him to come. She had been trying to convince him that her parents would try to keep her there, try to destroy her dreams. Sokka found that hard to believe. If he were there, wouldn't her parents feel even more inclinced to keep her sheltered?

After all, he was a klutz. He wasn't a leader. He failed at public speaking. He couldn't keep his mouth shut.

The Bei Fong family was practically royalty! And Sokka was the exact opposite.

"What is it now, Sokka?" Katara asked quietly. It was dark in the room, but Katara had lit some candles, and at least they provided some light.

"Oh, nothing much." The warrior sighed, closing the door behind him. It was makeshift, made of pieces of wood and stones, and was on the verge of crumbling. "Only the fact that Hawky came back with a message from Toph's parents, Toph doesn't want to go back unless I go with her, and I don't want to."

"Yes, that explains so much."

Sokka nodded. "You heard our 'conversation'?"

Katara raised an eyebrow. "I would've heard it even from the Spirit World."

She immediately turned back to Aang, who had evidently fallen back into a dreamless slumber, and after a few moments of silent contemplation, turned back to her brother, annoyed.

"Well, that's it, right? Then go. Aang needs some rest."

"You aren't going to help?"

"I'm sorry, but Aang needs me. You deal with it, you're older, and you have time on your hands."

"But Katara..."

She frowned, then the words flew like arrows.

"Aang is trying to recover-"

"-Yeah, but that doesn't mean-"

"-Yes, it does, it means that-"

"-No, there are more important things-"

"-Why don't you just get Toph to help-"

"-When Toph is the one _causing_ the problem?-"

"-Oh, a twelve year old girl is-"

"-Well, you're dealing with a twelve year old boy-"

"-That's not the point, and he's thirteen-"

"-Then why don't you help me?"

"Please, Sokka! Stop acting so immature!"

"I'm not acting immature! You're the one who pretends that you can _do_ something about Aang dying, that you can prevent it by being Miss Healing Hands! The world does not revolve around Aang! There are so many more things that need to be done!"

Sokka immediately wished he had not said anything at all, because the glare his sister was giving him now... it was murder.

"He's not going to die, Sokka."

"Katara, please, just accept the fact that-"

"He is not going to die, Sokka, and as a matter of fact, the world _does_ revolve around Aang because he's the one keeping it alive. Now get out."

"Katara, Toph is going to-"

"GET. OUT. NOW."

Sokka had no choice but to comply.

* * *

Toph sat there silently, her bangs falling over her eyes. 

She hated being blind.

Not only blind in her eyes, but blind to the world.

Why did everyone see her as helpless?

"I am not weak." She said to herself. The wind howled in reply, taunting her.

She stood up, straight, trying to imagine her mother and father before her.

"Mom, dad, I am not weak."

She said it louder this time, and something overtook her. Strength. She had strength.

She laughed in the wind, and imagined the world before her. The world saw her as blind, but she was going to prove them wrong.

"World, TOPH BEI FONG IS NOT WEAK!"

The strength inside her was there, and she could feel it. She could face her parents with that strength.

Who needed an idiot like Sokka? The universe was hers.

* * *

**AN:** Looks like I've freaked out some people with the Zutara thing. Don't worry, it's part of plot development.

Expect some Tokka in the future.


	4. Journeys

**Part One: Winter**

**Chapter Four: Journeys**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender. Now put me up on the list of people who wished they did.

* * *

_She cried._

_The wind howled through the night, and the tears streamed down her face._

_She looked at his bed, looking upon his face, and sobbed._

_She tried to imagine an empty bed._

_An empty space._

_An empty part of herself._

_She tried to imagine his sweet smile, and failed._

_She could only see_

_His grey eyes closed forever, never to see again._

* * *

"Sokka, I've been doing some thinking." 

The Water Tribe boy looked up at his sister, and she sighed and sat down besides him.

The morning sun was hidden behind a veil of fog, and the wind, although subsided, still raged bitterly across the camp. The weakest of fires had been set in the middle, providing barely enough heat to warm the day's food. The warrior faced his sister, then looked towards the trees. Hawky circled majestically above, and Sokka was bitterly reminded of the previous day's events.

"Is it about Aang?" he asked quietly. "Or Toph?"

"Both."

A silence swept through the camp.

"Look, I'm sorry for what I did yesterday. I shouldn't have yelled at you, even though... even though I didn't think you were right about anything," she said softly.

She looked at him expectantly, and Sokka mumbled an apology back. The siblings sat there, toes pointed towards the fire, the fog shrouding the trees in a veil of clouds.

"I've thought about what you've said. About caring about Aang more than anything..."

Sokka nodded mutely. Katara stared into the small fire, trying to avoid his gaze.

"And I do, Sokka... I do care about him. And I've realized that if he does... go..."

She paused to regain her composure.

"If Aang does... _go_... I don't know what to do. That's why I think we should leave the Fire Nation."

Sokka didn't say anything, so she went on.

"All of us could go back to the Northern Water Tribe, and you and Toph can take Appa and go to the Bei Fong estate. The healing oasis there could help Aang. And there's lots of healers there, too... we can help him, Sokka. Really, really help him."

Katara looked at her brother, who was looking down at the hard, cold ground before him. He seemed to be thinking hard about it, although he had always been one to make quick decisions.

"The Northern Water Tribe is so far away." He finally stated, his ice-blue eyes piercing hers.

"I know, Sokka, but it's our only chance. It's Aang's only chance."

"But it's so far away... Katara, Aang might not survive the journey."

Katara hadn't thought about this, and she bowed her head, her eyes shrouded in confusion.

"You're right, Sokka, but..."

There was really nothing more to say, and both knew that. They couldn't risk Aang's life.

Although, Katara thought, they were risking his life to _save_ his life.

They had to try... but she kept that thought to herself.

* * *

Toph had slept well that night. She was ready to leave. 

The fog had subsided by the time she woke up, and apparently, Katara and Sokka had just finished breakfast. Katara was walking back to Aang's room, and Sokka...

Well, she didn't care where he was.

She had filled a small bag with her belongings and tried to make herself look presentable. Not that she really cared, but after all, her parents were rich and prissy people. She smirked at the thought of showing up with her hair askew, but shrugged the idea off.

Now, she looked for Appa. Not too hard. His vibrations were the easiest to sense.

She had walked halfway over there when suddenly, her good mood immediately vanished. She had no idea where she was, and no idea how to get back to her parents. Much less on a flying bison.

_Nice going, Bandit,_ an inner voice taunted her. _You forgot that you're blind._

_

* * *

_

_The sea was bleeding._

_It had turned an ugly, blood-red crimson, and she let go of him instantly, malice flooding her eyes._

_"The sea is red." She whispered, her hair billowing out in the breeze. _

_Aang nodded, confused. He looked out into the horizon, which had turned dark. A ghastly, deadly dark._

_Turning back towards her, he gasped at what he saw. Her eyes, once shining and beautiful, were as black and lifeless as the sky. _

_"The sea is red." She stated again, a sort of hollowness to her voice. Aang realized that she was watching something; she was turned to whatever it was, and a smile was on her face. He spun around as well, and with a sick feeling in his stomach, he realized that it was Zuko. _

_The world started to spin, and the ground shook, sending the blood-red waves crashing into the cliff. She turned and moved to Aang, and grabbed his shoulders, a sick grin on her face. He made no effort to escape, his heart was pounding, but he never thought, he never thought..._

_She pushed him into the waves._

_He was drowning. He was thrashing and kicking and dying in the crimson water, and she watched on, unmoving. He reached out for her, longing to see that beauty in her face again, if it was the last thing he saw..._

_Something inside him was struggling to get out. The Avatar State could save him, he thought. He could live, if he let go of love._

_His head was thrown under the water by the violent, crashing waves and resurfaced after a moment's time. He gasped for air and scanned the cliff for her, and saw Katara, in her former beauty, holding someone. Kissing someone._

_He saw a flash of crimson, and black hair and golden eyes, and he gave a piercing wail._

_His heart refused to accept what he had just seen._

_He let go of his love, but the Avatar State was locked, unresponsive. It was locked away in his heart, and his heart was dying._

_As his head disappeared under the waves, as his hand disappeared under the waves, the torrent of red vanished._

_In its stay was nothing._

* * *

"You ready for an adventure?" He asked her, his eyes scanning the sight before him. 

Toph ignored Sokka and leaned against Appa, her head turned defiantly away from him. As much as she desperately needed transportation, she wasn't about to go and apologize at his feet.

The warrior shrugged. "Look, I'm sorry about yesterday. It's just that a lot of things are going on all at once, and..."

Toph glared at him, and he paused for a second.

"Well, I'm sorry, alright? And I'll go with you to see your parents."

Toph folded her arms and turned away. "A little too late for that, don'tcha think?"

She waited for his answer, expecting another apology, but he shrugged and turned around.

"Well, if you want to get to Gaoling all by yourself, it's fine with me. Just send Appa back, alright?"

Toph scowled and turned back to him, her eyebrows raised.

"Great. So you'll leave me to die there?"

"Sure, pretty much."

Sokka was speaking in that matter-of-fact tone that Toph hated, and she sighed.

"Yeah, wasn't expecting much anyways. By the way, what made you change your mind about leaving?" She paused for a minute in mock contemplation, and continued. "Oh yeah, your little 'Aang's going to die' fiasco. I'm sure that Katara had some _really great reasons_ why you should leave the camp."

Sokka huffed and turned back around. "Well, I wasn't the one screaming to the heavens yesterday. At least during my fight with Katara I was actually talking to someone!"

"Well, I'm sure your little conversation was delightful."

"We made up afterwards, okay?"

"Aww, you felt guilty?"

"Stop doing that, will you?"

"Hmm, there's no peace even after the war. Typical Sokka to shake things up."

"Shut up!"

"Aw, poor wittle Sokka has _problems_!"

"_SHUT UP!_"

"Ooh, Katara, Sokka said a bad word!"

"No I didn't! 'Shut up' isn't a bad word- I mean, words!"

"Grammatical errors. Tut tut."

"I'm serious. Are we going or not?"

"Pleased to meet you, Serious, I'm Princess Azula."

"Princess- _what?_"

By now, Toph was cracking up. Why not have a little fun at Sokka's expense? After all, it was very unlikely that she would be allowed to even laugh at the Bei Fong Estate.

Sokka huffed and looked at the hysterical Toph. What was so funny? He didn't get the point at all.

"Come on, Princess Azula, then," he sighed. "Let's go meet the parents."

* * *

**No, the Zutara is not over. Mwahahaha! Kataang heads will explode, but considering that I'M a Kataang shipper... (ducks and hides head).**

**Well, Happy Holidays, everyone!**


	5. Patience

**Part One: Winter**

**Chapter Five: Patience**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

* * *

_"No!" she yelled, her eyes flooding with tears._

_She watched him fall, her vision blurred, and ran. _

_It was so surreal, she couldn't think, she just ran to him, willed her legs to fly._

_She flew past the fighting, flew past the_

_Blood. She held back a cry as he hit the ground before her._

_He couldn't be dead. The world was swirling, colors flying, people screaming..._

_He couldn't be dead. His pulse was slow and steady and soft, and she held him close._

_She held him close and cried and sobbed and wailed_

_And died with him._

* * *

"You'll wake up soon, I _promise_." 

She watched over him like a mother, tending to his wounds carefully, the water twisting and bending as her fingers worked to treat the burns.

One on his shoulder, his right leg was burnt so badly... bruises covered his chest and back, and cuts, bleeding, infected cuts, had been slashed across his shoulders.

His feet were sprained; he had run so quickly and landed so hard, his heels were bloody and torn.

His arm was slashed with swords, spears, burned by fire, broken. Sprained. Limp and lifeless. _Dead_.

His sweet, sweet face was unmoving, pale, contorted in an expression of absolute agony. How could he ever smile again without feeling unimaginable pain?

She couldn't look at him any longer. It was during these times that she wished he would never wake up and feel the pain of his wounds.

She couldn't look at him any longer. It was during these times that she wished she had died.

Her nimble fingers held back a bandage, her blue eyes held back tears.

_If I hadn't gone and done it, if I had been there at his side, fighting with him, instead of being so stupid and going to help a complete stranger..._

She paused for a minute and looked at him, looked at the unconscious, sleeping boy.

_Aang, would you have done the same for a complete stranger? Would you have left me behind and gone to help them?_

She asked the question over and over in her head. Would Aang have done the same thing? Would Aang have done the same thing?

* * *

"Would you have done the same thing?" 

Zuko looked at his girlfriend, sitting in a red velvet chair, and waited for her answer. The girl studied her fingers and sighed.

"Zuko, some things are better left unsaid," she replied, obviously bored. "Want to hear what Azula told me?"

"No, I want to hear your answer."

"Alright, then. I would've done the same thing."

"Why?"

"What the Avatar's friends were doing was certainly their business, and considering how much kindness you've shown them in the past few days..."

Mai shrugged and went back to looking out the window.

"I actually agree with them. You're not the best person to have around post-war."

"But I offered to teach Aang firebending, and they forgave me! How is that-"

"Listen, Zuko. I may not be the most sociable person around. But believe me, lots of unkindness adds up. Changing from angry prince to kind, generous firebending teacher is just... almost unbelievable. They know who your sister is, Zuko, and she _is_ a good liar. How do they know you're not like her?"

"But I'm not! You know I'm not!"

"Calm down, Zuko." She sighed and turned around. "I know you're not. That's why I'm your _girlfriend._ But really, you're not even a friend to the Avatar. And since he's practically dead right about now, I imagine that they wouldn't accept you into their camp with open arms."

"He's not dying, he's resting."

"You actually believed that?"

Mai smirked knowingly, and Zuko glared at her.

"Zuko, you should spend more time with your uncle. Even Azula does, and that's saying something."

"But I don't have _time_."

"Yeah. You spend it all on trying to win the Avatar's trust." Mai glanced outside again, then stood up and walked to Zuko. "It's a waste of time. The war's over. We don't need the Avatar anymore, Zuko."

"It's not that, Mai, it's just that..."

"What?"

"Now that the war's over, I'm a prince again. I'm royalty. I have to make negotiations with the world, and what better way to apologize than to have the Avatar on my side?"

He stepped forward so that he and Mai were in front of each other.

"That's called being selfish, Zuko."

Mai grinned and draped her arms around his shoulders.

"Get some rest. We're going to talk to your uncle tomorrow, alright?"

* * *

"Shouldn't we tell Katara before we leave?" 

Toph glared at Sokka, who was anxiously making preparations. The fun had ended right after Sokka had threatened to chuck a boomerang at her head, and how was she to know that he wasn't going to do it? (After all, Sokka was a pretty good liar when it came to these things.)

Toph huffed and shrugged her shoulders, but Sokka didn't notice or didn't care. After disappearing into Aang's tent for a while, he came right back out again and proceeded to yank Toph onto Appa.

"Ow! What was that for, you pile of crud?"

"At least I'm going with you!"

"Well, I decided that I'm perfectly fine going by myself!"

"Then who's going to get you there? Your imaginary friend? Momo?"

At this, Toph immediately shut up and folded her arms. She hated flying. She didn't know how she would endure two days with an oaf like Sokka, let alone in the air.

Sokka glared at her and quickly took inventory of their supplies. "Let's see. We've got three days worth of food, some blankets, sleeping bags, clothes-"

"_Just hurry up, will ya?!"_

"-Firewood, money... yeah, I think we're good."

He gave the bundle of supplies a firm pat and climbed onto Appa.

"Alright, Toph we're going to fly-"

"Sokka!"

Katara rushed out, looking frazzled. Toph groaned, and Sokka looked at his sister quizically.

"What is it, Katara? We have to leave soon, or Miss Not-Weak here will do a bad Azula impersonation again."

"Sokka, it's Aang. He's getting worse." Katara looked frantic, and the travelers got serious immediately. "He's burning up, and his wounds are opening and getting infected and-" She looked at the two in despair. "I can't handle it alone, I don't think I can stay here alone, we need to get help!"

"We're not gonna beg the Imperial City, if that's what you mean," Toph stated. Sokka nodded in response, and Katara sighed.

"I know, but Aang... Sokka, it's _Aang_. What will the world do without him? What if there's another war, and there's nobody... there's nobody..."

Katara was in obvious despair, and Toph looked at Sokka, who looked back at his sister.

"Calm down, 'Tara, it's going to be alright. All we need to do is ask somebody, Zuko, maybe, who'll-"

"No. Not Zuko. _Anyone_ but Zuko."

"Don't you want Aang to get better?"

"Well, it's _Zuko_. For all we know, he might throw Aang into the dungeon or something and leave him to die!"

"He's only the prince, Katara. Remember it's Iroh who's Fire Lord now."

"But still. I don't trust him, and there's no way I can stay alone with him while you two go to Gaoling."

"Katara..."

Toph moaned, and proceeded to fall flat on her back on Appa's saddle.

"Please, Katara, just hurry and get the help you need. We have to get going so we can come back quicker!"

"Toph, Aang needs help! Gaoling is the last thing on my mind right now!"

Toph fell silent. After all, she couldn't blame the teenager... her best friend was dying.

"Just go get help from Zuko or Iroh!" Sokka pleaded. Katara glared at him and defiantly shook her head.

"I'm not about to go crawling back to the nation that almost killed him!"

"Please, Katara, just-"

"You know how much I hate Zuko, Sokka!"

The warrior sighed. Really, at times like this, he didn't know what to think of his sister.

Part of him wanted her to stop whining and deal with it...

And part of him wanted to help her. He knew how much she was hurting.

Toph sighed and took advantage of the situation. What was she going to do at Gaoling? She thought quietly for a few seconds before growing impatient again.

"Just come with us, then. We'll dump you off at the nearest city and you can get help there."

"How can you be so inconsiderate, Toph? When Aang's dyi-_ unconscious_- you're just thinking of yourself?"

"I care as much about Aang as you do, but really, there's nothing much else we can do at this point!"

"There's a lot you can do! We can go north and get help!"

"My parents are going to _kill_ me," Toph groaned. "But whatever. Ask Sokka, he's Mr. Flying Man here..."

"...Toph, just stop. Seriously." Sokka sighed and looked at Katara. "Fine, then. If you really don't want Zuko around, then hurry and get on. We need to get to Gaoling as soon as possible, but I guess Aang does come first."

Katara flashed a look of gratitude at her older brother and ran towards the tent. Toph folded her arms and faced the warrior.

"Why-?"

"Toph, just shut it. You seriously want Katara alone with Zuko? What if he... you know..."

An uncomfortable silence, as Toph tried to digest the thought. Abruptly, the Earthbender grimaced and shook her head.

"Just... no, Sokka. Bad mental imagery."

* * *

He stepped into the throne room and bowed. 

The lights were dim, and it was hard to see. The cold metal floor was hard beneath his feet.

Memories came flooding back. The last time he was here, the floor beneath him had been drenched in blood... the blood of soldiers both of this nation and of others.

The last time he was here, people had been killed. Their bodies had lay cold and lifeless, dead.

He listened for the sounds of swords, spears, he listened for the ghosts of the dead screaming as they fell to the floor, imapaled or bleeding to death.

There was silence, save only for the sound of his footsteps.

"So, nephew, you finally decided to give your uncle a visit?"

There was no accusation in his voice, no sarcasm, no iciness that was a trademark of his father's. Zuko looked up at his uncle as he walked, trying to get used to the feel of him on the throne.

"Forgive me, Uncle. I was busy with the army troops, and the Avatar, and..." His voice trailed off, and he glanced nervously at his uncle.

"It's perfectly fine, Zuko. After all, some quiet does an old man some good." Iroh paused for a minute, then went on. "The camp is in good condition?"

"It's deserted. Only the Avatar and his friends are left." Zuko hesitated a minute, wondering if he should tell Iroh what happened. "They didn't greet me as well as I hoped they would."

"The Avatar needs rest. His friends need rest. It's been a long, hard journey, and they all need to recover."

The Fire Lord smiled and motioned for his nephew to come forward.

"There's many things that need to be done, though. The world is still ailing. The Fire Nation troops are still stationed in Ba Sing Se, and the refugees are not happy." He sighed and motioned to the throne. "Zuko, I can only do so much on this throne. I can carry orders, and command troops, and do so much else, but I cannot travel."

"What do you mean by that, Uncle?"

"This man isn't what he used to be. I'm old now, and I have responsibility. After what happened with Azula in Ba Sing Se..." He sighed, and glanced at his nephew. "I can't leave the Imperial City alone. Zuko, you are young and able. As prince of the Fire Nation, you must go for me. Tell the world that the Fire Nation is sorry." Iroh smiled. "Although, Zuko, you look far from apologetic."

"That's because Mai said that the Avatar was dying. It's not true, is it?"

"I'm afraid Mai was telling the truth. The Avatar is not in a very good condition, and his friends are better off being left alone." Iroh looked up at Zuko, who looked at him in disbelief.

"But you never visited the army camps. How did you know he was... _dying_?"

"Mai told me again. You have a very caring companion, as it seems."

Zuko nodded and looked back at the doorway where he had left Mai. She was standing there, leaning against the door, smiling ever-so-slightly.

"Keep on listening, Zuko. There's a lot that your uncle wants to tell you."

Zuko stared at her and sighed. He would deal with her later.

Iroh nodded appreciatively at Mai, who bowed and retreated into the hallway. "Zuko, you heard what I wanted you to do. Will you do this for me? And if not, for your nation?"

Zuko paused for a minute. Traveling the world? Again? To say that he was sorry?

He had just gotten home. He was a prince again. Surely he could rest a while.

But he had changed... the Fire Nation had changed. Didn't he need to help Aang restore balance to the world?

Wasn't it his destiny?

"I'll think about it," he found himself saying. Iroh nodded, and Zuko bowed again.

"Tell me as soon as you decide, nephew. I think you also owe the Avatar's friends an apology."

* * *

"How did you know?" 

"Zuko, this is why I'm telling you to go visit Azula."

"What does Azula have to do with anything? I'm asking you how you knew the Avatar is dying."

"Azula."

"She's in _prison_, Mai."

"Yes, and the prisons are remarkably close to the army camp."

"How do you know this-"

"Because I actually visit Azula, alright! Now just be quiet, and I'll tell you-"

"What?"

Mai paused for a second, annoyance tinting her voice.

"I'll tell you what you want to hear, Zuko, if you be a good little prince and shut up."

Zuko shut up. It was annoying enough having to listen to Mai drone on and on, but even more annoying to be told off by her. And all because he wanted the answer to a question. Gods.

Mai waited to make sure he stayed silent, and went on.

"Well, Azula can hear it. She can hear that girl... what's her name again? Kya? Kiara?"

"Katara," he muttered.

"Yeah. That girl. She can hear that girl crying."

"She can't."

"Sure, she can. Well, assuming how much he was injured, Azula pretty much figured that he was dying."

"That doesn't prove anything! You know how good Azula is at lying. Why you do trust her?"

"I trust her for the same reason that I trust you. She's a good friend. You're a good boyfriend. Friends trust each other. Girlfriends and boyfriends trust each other."

Zuko sighed. Girlfriend or not, Mai was getting on his nerves.

"And you also heard what your uncle said. He trusted me, which means he trusted Azula."

"He didn't know the information _came from_ Azula."

Mai shook her head and extended her hand.

"Come on, then. Let's go visit your sister and she'll tell you."

He scowled, but took the girl's hand. Whatever.

* * *

"Sokka, we have to postpone the flight until tomorrow." 

Toph groaned and leapt off of Appa. It had been what- two hours?- since Katara had announced that Aang needed help. Toph's patience level was only a few millimeters high, and even in the event where Aang's life was at stake, she wasn't about to go waiting patiently like a good little girl.

Sensing Toph's annoyance, Katara sighed and tried to reason with her.

"Toph, there's not much else we can do! I need to stock up on bandages, and medicines, and..."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. We have some rags around here, and herbs grow seasonally. So go and pick some of those, okay?"

"No, it's _not_ okay! How would _you_ feel if _you_ were unconscious and we decided to wrap you up in rags?"

"I wouldn't really care," Toph replied coolly. She knew she was testing Katara's patience, but hey. Katara had tested hers.

Katara sighed and turned to Sokka. "Sokka, can we set off tomorrow? I don't know if we'll be able to make it to the North Pole without an ample supply of medicine."

Sokka shrugged. "Sure. Just hurry and get the stuff you need. We might even be able to make it to Gaoling today."

Toph scowled and folded her arms. "Yeah. Listen to Sugar Queen."

* * *

A/N: I promise that the next chapter will have a little more action. Thanks for reviewing, everyone! 


	6. Our Adventures Start Here

**Part One: Winter**

**Chapter Six: Our Adventures Start Here**

**Disclaimer: **No, Avatar: The Last Airbender does not belong to me.

* * *

_The prisoner tossed her head, shrugged._

_He scowled. Useless. She was lying, all she said were lies._

_He yelled at her, she tossed her head, smirking._

_He saw her glance once at his companion, whose pale face was hidden in the shadows,_

_Then looked into his sister's eyes,_

_Her amber eyes, glinting with malice and evil_

_And resolved to himself:_

_"I need to get away from here._

_Far away from here_

_And tell the world that_

_I, Prince Zuko_

_Am not like Azula at all."_

* * *

He had set out early in the morning, a small sack on his shoulder. 

Iroh had told him to go to the army camps first. To apologize for trespassing.

Zuko had tried to reason with him, but the Fire Lord had not listened.

"Prince Zuko," he had said. "If you wish to heal the world, start with your mistakes."

Azula had caused too much pain in the world for him to apologize for.

At least he could fix his own problems.

* * *

Toph woke up early, surprisingly. 

The warrior found her lying on Appa's saddle, tossing a pebble up and down in the air.

He sighed. "Toph, why'd you get up so early? We're not leaving until noon."

The Earthbender stayed silent. Up, down, went the pebble. Up, down, up, down.

The pebble landed square in her palm, and she faced the warrior.

"Call Katara up. We need to get to Gaoling now."

Sokka looked at her, confused, and Toph continued.

"My parents used to think that Aang kidnapped me. The longer we stay here, the more they'll think something bad happened."

She continued to toss the pebble.

Sokka shrugged. "Didn't you want them to know that something bad happened?"

"I dunno. Whatever. If we're going to Gaoling, then of course not."

Toph sighed.

"The last thing I want is a teary reunion. Trust me, Sokka, my parents are certainly capable of giving me one."

The warrior nodded, and turned in the direction of the tents.

Sokka couldn't hear it, but even atop of Appa, Toph's heightened senses picked up something. "Wait, who-"

_Footsteps, crunching on dead, fallen leaves._

Sokka spun around. He could hear it, now, and he nodded at Toph, only to remember that she couldn't see it.

_I hear it too, Toph. Who?_

"I don't know who it is. You have eyes, use 'em!" She hissed, as if reading his mind. Startled, Sokka let a minute of silence pass before he made any comment. He saw a cloaked figure making its way up the steep incline and immediately recognized the tall, shadowed form.

Hey, what do you know? Having a deranged prince chase you around for the past year or so did come in handy.

Back to the point. Sokka squinted in the distance for clarification, and spoke again in hushed tones.

"Zuko. Coming up the hill. Why the _heck_ is he here?"

"Dunno."

They let the prince climb up the hill. Toph dropped down from the saddle, landing with a bump, as Sokka neared her side.

"What do you want? We told you to leave!" He shouted into the distance.

"I'm here to apologize!" Zuko called, a little angrily.

"Doesn't sound like it," Toph taunted, a smirk on her face. Heh, his vibrations were way too easy to sense from down here. All his angriness certainly put some weight in his step, and she shrugged. Yeah, she was the greatest lie detector on earth.

Ignoring Toph, the prince stopped for a mere second before continuing on to the settlements.

"Where's he going? Don't tell me he's going to his tent..." The Earthbender moaned. A quick step confirmed it, and she shook her head.

"The idiot. But he's going to get his butt kicked by Katara, that's for sure."

Sokka nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. Then he'll be gone for good."

* * *

"We're going to get you somewhere safe. We're going to make you better." 

She hugged him close to her, then continued filling her bag with the herbs she picked from the forests.

She had cut some bandages up from some old clothes. Socks, hats... she could go without a sleeping bag.

For the Moon Spirit's sake, she could go without anything. Food, water, her own life.

For him.

Only for him.

She had spent the last night or so worrying endlessly about the journey. Would he be warm enough? Would he have enough air?

Would he survive?

Around, around, she wound the bandage. _Once, twice..._

She heard Toph and Sokka bickering again. Was that another voice she heard? _Once, twice..._

Footsteps. She didn't look up, assuming it was either her brother or one of her friends.

_Once... twice... _

"Katara?"

_...And stop._

She looked up, startled, as the makeshift door toppled to the ground. Zuko stared back apologetically, awkwardly picking the door up and setting it at an odd angle against the wall.

"I told you to leave!" she said, very low, glaring into those amber eyes.

He glanced defeatedly at the ground.

"I want to apologize."

"For what, exactly?"

"For trespassing. For coming to the army camps."

He paused a minute, then drew a small bundle out of his sack.

"What-"

"Medicine. From my uncle."

Silence.

"Why?"

Again, slower. "I wanted to apologize."

Eyes narrowed.

"Didn't know that word was in your vocabulary."

"Well, at the Western Air Temple-"

"All that stuff about changing. I didn't buy it then, I'll never buy it again. You made a choice."

"To what?"

"To go back to your nation! To crawl back there and become Prince again!"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

Zuko was evidently losing patience, and Katara glared at him.

"_The nation that nearly killed him._ You chose to join _them_ again."

"But I'm going to apologize! I'm apologizing _right now_ and I'm _leaving_ the Fire Nation! Well, not really, but... well, I'm going to travel the world and restore it!"

"Your sister was a liar too, you know!"

"I know." Zuko strode across the dirt floor and stopped at Aang's makeshift bed. Almost instinctively, Katara drew the boy closer to her, staring at the prince with fury in her eyes. "Just let me tell you that I'm sorry."

"I am _not_ going to let you hurt Aang!"

"I'm not _going_ to hurt him!"

"Forget it!"

She held Aang close.

"We are going to leave now, _Prince Zuko_." She stated his name with contempt in her voice. "We don't need you to apologize. What you and your nation did was too horrible to make up for in words."

"Then how about actions?"

Katara put Aang down softly, stood up, looked straight into Zuko's eyes.

"There is _nothing_ you can do that'll make me forgive you."

"But you need transportation."

"What?"

"To get help. Assuming that's what you need."

"I don't need _help_ from lowlife like _you_!"

"You need to get him help, and my ship is faster than that bison of yours."

Silence, then he continued.

"Your friends go to Gaoling, I'll take you to wherever you need to go."

"No- and _how did you know_ we were going to Gaoling?!"

"Hey, my sister didn't lie after all."

It was more of a thought than a statement, but it provoked Katara beyond description.

"Sister? You've been spying on us, haven't you? No- _she's_ been spying on us. So she can try to get her hands on Aang and end him for good!"

"My sister's in prison! She just heard... arguments..."

Wow. That sounded exceedingly stupid. He took a deep breath, then continued.

"Well, she heard stuff. From her cell. Because it's close to the army camps."

Ha, that was his idea of an argument? Big mistake.

Katara had neglected her waterbending other than doing some healing, and she was itching to use it again.

Zuko was the perfect training dummy.

Drawing her waterskin close to her side, she glared at him, glints of anger in her eyes, and put every ounce of hostility in her voice as she stated:

"_Get out or I'll KILL you."_

"You have to believe me! Really. I haven't attacked you or your friends once, and I've never betrayed your location. Otherwise, this place would be crawling with soldiers right now. Besides, I didn't even bring swords or anything. I gave you _medicine_."

This all came out in a quick, awkward sentence, and Katara was convinced that whatever good points he made, whatever he was pleading or sacrificing, nothing could make up for the simple fact that he was Fire Nation again.

And the Fire Nation had nearly killed Aang. Twice.

_Fury. Anger. Resentment. I want him to die._

"I told you to GET OUT!"

She drew a thin snake of water from her side and brought it down on Zuko in a deadly torrent. She didn't care what pain she was causing; she was convinced that Aang had felt far worse before.

Ice daggers, showering down. She didn't care if they hit him or not, as a matter of fact, most of them did. She just loved attacking him again.

She bent the water to her will, stopping only when she realized that Zuko was just taking it.

What... he wasn't fighting back...

Well, this defeated the whole purpose.

A moment of hesitation was all Zuko needed. He wasn't going to attack, but he wasn't about ready to get _killed_.

Taking a deep breath, he tensed his muscles and prepared for the blow-

"You just want to _apologize_, huh?"

"Wha-" A torrent of ice-cold water washed over him, and as quickly as it had arrived, it receded again and formed into a long, lethal waterwhip.

"You can get out, or get killed. Your choice!"

"I already said! I'm not leaving until I'm forgiven!"

The waterwhip lashed out, hitting Zuko square in the chest.

"Stop that!"

"What? I bet your _father_ didn't stop attacking Aang when he was injured- even on the verge of _death_!"

The waterwhip hit him again, this time in on his cheek. It stung, badly, but Zuko knew that it wasn't all the Master Waterbender was capable of doing. He also knew that she wasn't about to forgive him, not that easily.

"I'm staying! Just forgive me and I'll be on my way!"

"No, I want you to-"

She stopped for a minute, fury and pain raged in her eyes, and she groaned. It was too much to handle. How could he think, after all that his nation did, all that his nation did to Aang, that a simple apology would suffice? How about his head on a golden plate?

She liked that idea immensely, and smirked.

"Want me to what?"

"I want you to-"

Blow after blow after blow. The water, bending so easily under her fingertips, seemed to be more than compliant today.

"Get-"

The whip lashed out again, and Zuko knew, even though it agitated him to hell, that he couldn't fight back, even though he was more than a match for her.

"Out-"

The water receded, and Katara bent it upwards. Clenching her fingers together, she froze it, broke it apart, and sent it flying at Zuko's direction in one fluid motion.

"Of-"

The shards fell, like glass arrows, and Zuko stood firm. _Don't show weakness. Don't show any sign of being-_

"HERE!"

The ice flew and dug into his skin, cutting him, making him bleed. Needless to say, it hurt like hell, and all because he was asking- no, begging- for forgiveness?

This was an unfair fight. No, it wasn't even a fight. It was _torture_.

The ice melted and flew through the air, and Katara smirked.

"Had enough, Prince?"

"No! I'm staying here, but not because I want _your_ forgiveness! I want Aang's!"

The water hung, suspended, in midair. Katara's eyes widened at his stupidity.

"His forgiveness? _Aang's_ forgiveness? He's half-dead, that's thanks to your dear father, and now you come crawling back, expecting him to greet you with hugs and tears of joy? What the heck is wrong with you?"

She stepped forward, in an attacking stance, but Zuko held up a hand.

Stop.

There was something in his eyes that made Katara listen, and her hands dropped, causing the water to fall into a small puddle at her feet.

"Look, I haven't fought back. You've wanted to kill me, but really, I had no part in trying to hurt Aang. I- I taught him firebending. I taught him because I wanted to see my father go down."

_This can't be happening._ Katara reasoned. _It's all a trick._

"But now that he's... dead... it's up to my uncle and me to redeem our nation. To fix all the mistakes that the Fire Nation caused. And I'm going to start here." He gazed down at Aang, who was lying still, quiet, on the bed. "No matter how long it takes."

A moment of silence, then Katara nodded. She still didn't trust him, but if Iroh had sent him here, then he probably hadn't meant any harm. All of a sudden, she felt stupid, and as much as it hurt her to do so, she knew she had to admit it.

"Alright, then... I'm sorry for attacking you. You know that Aang means the world to me- to all of us. You have my forgiveness only because of your uncle." She paused a little, looking down at the Airbender. "But Aang... if you want his forgiveness, you'll have to wait. He's not in the best state right now, and we're going to have to leave. Soon."

Footsteps again, this time belonging to Toph. She entered the room quietly, looked at Zuko, and smirked at Katara.

"Well, well, well, I guess it's all over now. Pack up, Katara, we're going."

Katara shot Zuko a blank look and he shrugged. "Fine, then. I... should be leaving."

Toph nodded firmly, and Sokka, who had appeared behind her, gaze Katara a silent thumbs-up. She looked away, feeling immense guilt, although she had no idea why.

"Well, then, tell your uncle thanks for the medicine," she muttered after Zuko. He smiled faintly and turned around again, walking through the wide opening where the door had once stood and through Toph and Sokka's jubilant faces.

"But, wait-"

Zuko turned at the sound of Katara's voice. Sokka stared at her, dumbfounded, while Toph did a classic facepalm.

"My brother and friend need to get to Gaoling, quick. So if it's alright with them, maybe you _can_ take the two of us- I mean, Aang and me- to the North Pole."

"What?" Toph looked amazed as Zuko considered the option.

_Isn't this funny? Katara is great at jokes! Ha-ha-ha-ha-_

"Sure."

_-Ha._

Sokka looked like he was about to attack someone, and Toph looked as if someone had smacked her in the face. Whatever had just happened, she hadn't gotten the joke at all.

"What just... what did you do, Katara?" The Earthbender asked weakly, and Sokka nodded in disbelief.

"Zuko offered to take me to the North Pole. That way, you and Sokka can get to Gaoling quicker," Katara muttered. She felt herself flush, and she sighed. She hated the idea, but now that she thought about it, it would be better for all of them. Aang would get medical help on the way there, Sokka and Toph wouldn't get killed by the Bei Fongs... sure, she could live with that. "What do you guys think?"

"No." Was Sokka's immediate reply.

Toph took a little longer to think about it. "You, Zuko, alone, on his ship? I don't know, Katara, seems a little... dangerous."

Zuko groaned. Why did these people not get it? He was offering them transportation and, Agni help him, _medical attention_. And they still thought he was out to get them or something.

"Look, I'll have my crew on there. I'll have the doctors, and the servants, and she'll have a maid." _Yeah, right_, but he had to convince them. "And Aang will get help, I swear it. You can run the risk of losing him on your bison or entrust him to our care."

Katara looked at Sokka, her eyes pleading.

"Sokka, please. I know you don't want me to do this, and I'm not so excited about it either. But please, for Aang's sake. And I'll be fine."

The warrior shook his head, but Toph shrugged.

"Ignore him. I'm with you, Sugar Queen. Just don't get attacked or anything."

Katara flashed her a grin, but in remembering that Toph couldn't see it, gave her a "thanks" instead.

"I'm still concerned." Sokka stated, and everyone looked at him. "After all, our experiences on Fire Nation ships haven't exactly been pleasant. And who sent you here, anyways? Azula? Trust me, Katara. He might not even be taking you to a ship. This might all be a trap to lead you into the enemy's hands."

Zuko scowled and remained silent. Sokka gestured to him, nodding.

"You see, Katara, he doesn't deny it. That's why you always need to be careful around Fire Nation."

Katara sighed, and looked at the prince. "Zuko, are you telling the truth? And Toph, listen for signs of lying."

The Earthbender nodded, and the Firebender sighed.

"Yes, I'm telling the truth. I'm going to take you and Aang on my ship, take you to the North Pole, and I will not turn you into the hands of people that might kill or potentially harm you. You get that?"

Toph faced Sokka, shrugging. "He meant it."

"You see, Sokka?"

The warrior faced the prince, who stared back at him, and said four simple words.

"Don't hurt my sister."

That was it, and everyone knew it. Katara quietly gathered her supplies and gently gathered Aang up in her arms.

"We're going to help you, Aang. We're going north, at last."

Toph nodded in agreement, and together, she and Sokka left the tent, ready to begin a journey of their own.

* * *

**Author's Note: I have bored you all with this absurdly long chapter, I think, but don't worry- the next one will be better and have some Tokka goodness. **

**A Peek At Future Chapters: The Bei Fongs have something... special... in store for Toph, and Sokka doesn't like it any more than she does. What will be revealed for both of them? Plus, Katara is adjusting to life on Zuko's ship... but will desperation and insane sailors drive her over the edge and into the arms of a certain prince? Yeah, right! Stay tuned.**


	7. Lady Bei Fong

**Part One: Winter**

**Chapter Seven: Lady Bei Fong**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Avatar: the Last Airbender. The harsh reality of life...

* * *

_She missed them. _

_She never thought she'd admit it, but she did._

_Once in a while, she thought, a caged bird had to appreciate_

_The people who took care of it_

_Who kept it from harm_

_Before it was ready for the world._

_She thought about her parents_

_Who were like the bird's caretakers._

_She was flying back to tell them_

_That she missed them._

_She never thought she'd admit it, but_

_She did._

_Once, she thought that she needed freedom_

_And shunned them, said they were keeping her back._

_Once, she thought that she was flying free_

_And they wanted to shoot her down._

_But really, they loved her._

_And even though she knew she couldn't show it now_

_She loved them too._

* * *

So far, the flight to Gaoling had been uneventful. Sokka was silent, probably still recovering from the fact that his sister had trusted Zuko, and Toph, who didn't feel like talking, followed suit. Butterflies flew in her stomach, and she hated it. When was the last time she had felt so nervous? 

Probably never.

What would her parents do to her? Maybe they would keep her locked up and force Sokka to leave. Maybe they would throw a party or something. Maybe it was all a trap.

She sat still on Appa's saddle, sighing, and wished something interesting would happen.

Sokka tugged slightly on the reins, and Appa, growling, began to descend from the clouds.

"Are you hungry, Toph?"

"No, not really. Don't feel like eating."

"Alright. It's getting dark, though, so we should stop by this forest and get some rest."

"Fine."

The Earthbender lay her head back and reclined against the saddle as Appa flew down into a clearing.

It was so quiet now. The sunlight was slowly fading from the sky, and beautiful shades of magenta and crimson flooded the heavens. Sokka looked up at the dazzling sunset as the bison landed with a neat 'thud'.

"Hey, Toph, isn't the sky great?"

"Sokka... I can't _see_."

"Oh, yeah, right."

Sokka cursed himself inwardly at his stupidity and glanced over at the Earthbender to see if she had taken any offense. She was sitting placidly on the ground after sliding off of Appa's saddle.

"No, I'm not upset. I'm actually surprised that you forgot I was blind."

"Yeah, sure..."

"So I've pretty much convinced you that I'm a normal person, right?"

"A long, long time ago."

Toph grinned, and Sokka felt a smile light up his face. It was nice to be alone, just the two of them, where nothing could bother them. Not Aang, not Katara... no Firebenders. No war. If they could stay here forever, the sunset painting the sky in shades of beauty...

...They couldn't, but it was a relaxing thought.

He took his boomerang out of his bag and proceeded to sharpen it with a flat rock he found on the floor. "Toph, if you want to get a fire going..."

"Nah. I'm not cold."

It was a little awkward being alone with Sokka. She had been with him plenty of times before, and they had loads to talk about: the war, Aang's health, Katara's obsession for his safety... but now that they were really separate from the others, now that it was just her and Sokka, it felt so strange. Sokka had always acted big-brotherly to her, but why did she feel so weird around him?

Why did it feel so good when Sokka forgot that she was blind?

"I think we'll be able to get to Gaoling by tomorrow." The teenage boy remarked, snapping the girl out of her thoughts. 

"Yeah... alright, then. Let's just rest."

The Earthbender bowed her head as the warrior's footsteps receded into a corner of the clearing.

" ''Night," she said.

"'Back to ya," he replied.

The chirping of the moon-crickets lured Sokka into sleep, and soon, all that Toph heard was the song of the bugs and Sokka's breathing in the night.

* * *

_"Toph, where are you?"_

_The garden smelled like perfume, expensive, exotic perfume. The jasmine bloomed in fresh, lovely clusters all around him, and roses grew in bushes that were trimmed to magnificent perfection. He looked among the fragrant lemon trees, walked the path that led to a flowing stream..._

_"Toph...?"_

_A girl, dressed in flowing silk robes looked up. Her hair, done up in a tight knot, hung with beads and jewelry, and her face, painted white like a doll, looked like porcelain. Gold trimming laced her dress, and her family crest, a flying boar, was sewed extravagantly onto the edge of her skirt. _

_Her eyes, opaque and unseeing, seemed to burn a hole right through him._

_"You will address me always as Lady Bei Fong. And who are you to intrude upon my prescence?"_

_"Sokka, your... friend. I wanted to talk to you."_

_The stream seemed to flow a bit faster, and the air smelled damp with an almost unbearing scent._

_"Sokka... a commoner." The girl twisted her red-painted lips into a tight smile. "I don't know you."_

_The world seemed to swim a little faster. "No, Toph, stop playing jokes. And who dressed you up like that? You must hate it... don't worry, I'll get you away from here."_

_"Away? Away?" The doll-like girl gave a high, little laugh. "There's no escaping this, commoner. There's no escaping high society. I'm well-bred, and I intend to stay that way."_

_"What? I'm your friend! I know you, Toph, you hate this kind of stuff! What have they done to you?"_

_"What I've wanted to be all along, filth. What I've wanted to be all my life. Rich, and fancy, and away from trash like you."_

_"Trash-" The smells of the flowers was overpowering, and he sunk to his knees. "What are you talking about? Toph!"_

_"It's Lady Bei Fong, Sokka... Lady Bei Fong!" _

_The porcelain face started to blur, and Sokka saw the girl disappear, disappear into the swirling mass of color and smell and consciousness that was enveloping him... and all he could hear, all he could hear in his frenzied world was-_

_"Lady Bei Fong, Sokka, Lady Bei Fong..."_

* * *

"Lady... Bei...Fong..." 

Sokka was muttering something in his sleep, and Toph, who had woken up a while ago, was obviously not tolerating it.

"What, Sokka? I'm trying to stay awake, and you're muttering utter nonsense! Come on, it's dawn, we're supposed to be on our way now!"

She administered a rough kick to his side, and he yelped in pain, clutching his waist.

"What the- what was that for?"

"For being an idiot at this hour. Get up, we're leaving."

Sokka groaned. "Toph, don't forget who's taking you there-"

_Toph! _He immediately sat up, rubbed his eyes, and focused on the blind Earthbender.

Nope. Still dirty and grouchy as always. He sank, relieved, into his sleeping bag, closing his eyes and succumbing to the desire to close his eyes and...

"SOKKA!"

"What?"

"Now is _not_ the time to sleep! Now is the time to get your lazy butt on that bison and steer us to Gaoling!"

"Come on, Toph, it's still dark. We wouldn't be able to find our way there anyways." He mumbled faintly, burrowing into his bag.

"Well, that wasn't the case with Aang! When he was steering, we never got lost! Never, never! You're older, you can get us there! Hurry!" She shouted, losing patience already. It was only dawn, and Sokka was still managing to drive her up the wall. Even without standing up.

This sucked.

Toph wasted the next half-hour or so pleading with Sokka to wake up. He didn't get much sleep with all the commotion, anyways, and the Earthbender groaned as he covered his head with the top of the bag.

"Will you get us to Gaoling?"

"Yeah, later."

"HURRY!"

"Five more minutes!"

Toph walked over, cool as you please, and immediately kicked him again, this time in the leg.

"I'm feeling compelled to knock you around like a _rock_ if you don't get up in the next ten seconds!"

Clutching his knee, Sokka was, not surprisingly, eager to comply.

* * *

"I've got everything set up for her. She'll like this." 

"She never was one for commitment."

"I know, but children get older. Now that she's been out so long, she'll want protection. She'll know what the world is like."

"Oh, if only we had protected her... if only we hadn't let her _Earthbend_..."

The woman sighed in despair, and Lao Bei Fong placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Let her come home. We'll ask her what she thinks about the idea. Maybe she'll meet someone she really loves and he'll keep her from wandering away again."

The two gazed out into the window, half-expecting to see the blind girl running up the garden path. Mistress Bei Fong shook her head quietly.

"The world is large, Lao. Who knows where she might be?"

* * *

Katara's new bedroom was spacious, light, and airy. It made her feel sick to see so much red in one room, but she could bear it for a couple of weeks. She tried lying down on her bed for a while, and immediately sunk into its soft, silky feel. 

"This might not be too bad," she said to herself. "If we get to the North Pole and Aang gets help... this might not be too bad."

There was a small window in her cabin, enabling her to get a clear view of the sea. She stood up and ran over, expecting to see the dock still in sight, but regarded the scene before her with surprise. Waves, rolling and blue, gulls, flying gracefully overhead... they were already in open water, and she hadn't even gone up to see where Aang would be treated.

Feeling an enormous pang of guilt, Katara quickly left her cabin and locked the door. What if something terrible had happened to him?

Trying not to show her panic, she raced down the hallways, eventually colliding with a sailor, and in a rushed sentence, asked him where the infirmary was.

"Oh, the treatment room? Right down this hall, up those stairs, to your left. 'Can't miss it, the place smells like herbs all the time." His breath smelled like fire-whiskey, and he gave Katara a toothy grin. "But swing by my cabin afterwards, alright? Haven't had much... _company._.. in a while."

He gave a loud laugh, and Katara groaned inwardly. To think, that she would be spending a month with these sailors on board.

"Thank you. I'll be... going, then."

She followed his directions, then stopped short when she heard someone shout in pain.

"Aang," she instinctively thought. Immediately, her heart was wrenched in sorrow for her poor friend. What were they doing to him?

Then she remembered. _Aang's unconscious_. But what if he woke up, surrounded by so many Fire Nation soldiers, on a Fire Nation ship...

Without her there?

She ran, then, ran up the stairs and to her right, frantically scouring the hallways for sign of a room that smelled like herbs. There was nothing, save for a storage room, where she found an upturned barrel of fire-whiskey and several cracked bottles at the foot of them. Katara remembered that the sailor's breath had smelled like the beverage, and she wrinkled her nose in disgust.

She would just have to find Aang on her own.

Katara dashed downstairs again. Every second that passed was crucial. Every second that passed could be one second closer to Aang's death, and she tried to force the thought aside. The thought of him dying in the enemy's prescence, the horrible triumph it would give them... it was unbearable to think about it. She wondered if he was awake now and wondering where she was, wondering why she had abandoned him and left him with these people.

It gave her the courage to move on, and she ran down the hallways, occasionally bumping into people and upsetting them.

_Oh, Aang, I'm sorry!_

"What-"

"Ow!"

Whoever she had collided into landed on the floor, and she went down as well. She scowled and brushed herself off, remembering that Aang needed her help, that he could be dead already.

"I'm sorry, but I need to leave now, it's an emergency, and-"

"Katara, calm down." The Waterbender stopped and looked into Zuko's amber eyes. "Aang's alright. He's in the infirmary now, so if you want to see him-"

"Yes!" She knew she looked like a desperate fool, but she knew she had to get help, for her best friend's sake...

"-He's right in this room."

Zuko smirked, and Katara flushed. She must have looked like an idiot, dashing around the hallways.

"Well, thanks. I'll get going, then," with as much civility as she could muster.

The prince left without a word, leaving the Waterbender feeling flustered. What was wrong with her today?

* * *

"Here we are! The Bei Fong Estate. We just have to walk through the gate." 

"Wow... I'm so _excited_."

"You don't sound excited."

"Sarcasm, Sokka."

The Earthbender sighed as Appa landed in a patch of open grass in front of the Bei Fong Estate. It looked even bigger than Sokka had remembered, and he instinctively looked at Toph to see her reactions of setting foot on her own property.

"Ah, familiar vibrations," she sighed. "The only thing that's good about this place."

Sokka shrugged as she stepped closer to his side. "Toph, are you nervous?"

"No, not really." _Yes, yes really._

"We're going to go in through the gate now. Do you have some sort of verification that you're of the Bei Fongs?"

"Um..." The Earthbender pawed through her small brown sack and produced an old, battered belt. "Will this do?"

"What-" Sokka inched forward and studied the belt as Toph carefully pulled it out. "Your Earth Rumble belt?"

"Well, they already know I'm the Blind Bandit, so I guess they'll let me in. Otherwise, they'll recognize me." Toph shrugged, closing her sack, clutching her Earth Rumble Champion belt in her free hand. "The guards will know me, unless my parents have hired new ones."

Sokka nodded and instructed Appa to stay put. He hoped that he looked presentable. Now that they didn't have Aang with them, he was just Sokka. Not the "Avatar's friend," or the "Avatar's companion," but a commoner. He turned to Toph for advice, but realized that she wouldn't be any help.

After all, she was blind.

Why did he find himself forgetting this fact lately? It could've been because she wasn't weak or dependable, she was like a normal person.

She fought very well, and she knew it. She knew that she was his friend, and he really, really liked her. Not in a "loving" way, but he admired her spunk and courage. Sokka couldn't think of anyone else that was so brave.

Maybe Aang, but that didn't count. He could actually see.

Toph was walking ahead, feeling the fresh earth with renewed wonder. "Come on, Antsy Pants. We're almost there, and you know that we need to hurry."

Everything was going to change now. After Toph saw her parents again, she might remember how much she missed the estate and living in luxury. She might forget how much she loved to Earthbend, how much freedom she had before, how much she loved her friends and loved to fight.

She might forget him.

He shook the thought away, gave Appa a final pat, and ran up ahead to join Toph.

* * *

"You think he'll be alright?" 

"Only time will tell."

The nurse shook her head and gazed at the boy.

"Unless we make it to the North Pole in time, I'm afraid that his condition will worsen."

Katara shook her head and grasped Aang's hand. _I won't let you go, Aang, not ever!_

The nurse studied the two and sighed.

_It would take a miracle for the boy to live through winter,_ she thought, unwinding a roll of bandages. _But I can't bear to tell the girl._

It was fairly obvious that it would break her heart.

* * *

"Lao! It's Toph! Toph!" 

The blind girl stopped in her tracks as a finely-dressed lady ran to her and immediately wrapped her in a tight embrace.

"You did come back, oh Toph, we were afraid for you out there, we thought, we thought..."

"It's alright, Mom," she replied quietly. Much to Sokka's surprise (and her own), she found herself hugging her mother back, and as if some unknown memory came flooding over her, she started to smile, a happy, relieved smile, the first Sokka had seen in a while.

The lady seemed intent on keeping Toph locked in her arms forever, but after a while, drew back, tears in her eyes. Sokka stood quite still in the back, observing the scene keenly, knowing that Toph was just as happy to see her mother again.

Even if she didn't show it.

Toph immediately looked at the ground, embarrased, as her mother started to fret over her state.

"Look at those clothes! You look positively filthy, but I don't mind a little dirt, I'm just so glad you decided to come back, and just in time for your thirteenth birthday... Toph, oh, I should call your father over..." Mistress Bei Fong looked absolutely ecstatic. "I know that I'm acting undignified, and that you should be ashamed of your mother making such a fuss, but I've missed you so, the whole _household_ has." She glanced over at Sokka, who gave a little wave. "Oh, is this your friend? What good manners, Toph, you've remembered to bring an escort... you _have_ taken my lessons to heart, dear, you haven't forgotten us!"

Sokka glanced awkwardly at Toph, who raised her eyebrows slightly. Never had her mother acted so undignified before. She was always so composed and calm, but Toph supposed that if she had a daughter that ran away for almost a year, she would worry endlessly too.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Bei Fong," Sokka managed, extending a hand. Toph looked at him quizically, and Mistress Bei Fong gave a small, strange smile before turning back to her daughter. Confused, the teenage boy let his hand drop, gazing with uncertainty at the two before him.

"We need to get you dressed and presentable, dear. Your father and I have something to tell you, something extremely important. I trust that you've recieved the messenger hawk?"

Toph nodded, and her mother continued.

"Of course, we had to wait until after the war to send it back to you... it bearing the Fire Nation insignia and all, I was afraid it would get intercepted. It scared your father and I beyond belief to know that you were in Fire Natinon territory, but you're safe now, you're safe."

"I was before," Toph mumbled a little. She had forgotten how much her parents treated her like a baby, and flushed as Mistress Bei Fong hugged her again.

"Stop speaking such nonsense! With the war raging on and prisoners getting executed in the Fire Nation every day... oh, Toph, it was unbearable, we heard rumors about the war, about Earthbenders dying in the front lines, and..." Toph's mother let go of her and shook her head. "Well, let's not trouble ourselves with the thought. But you stayed away from fighting, didn't you? You just hid away and stayed safe?"

"Yeah," Toph lied. Hah, her mom would never know how much Fire Nation butt she kicked out there.

"That's wonderful. I'm just so grateful you're unhurt." Mistress Bei Fong took Toph's hand and smiled. "We've got your dresses all in order, just in case you did come back, and we'll get you out of those dreadful clothes and into some finery." Toph cringed in Sokka's direction, and he nodded sympathetically. "I know you've been traveling a lot, and we've got so much catching up to do... it's so surreal, just like a dream- oh, Lao, come out, it's Toph!"

As Mistress Bei Fong ran into the house to call Toph's father out, the Earthbender turned to the warrior, who was uncomfortably looking at the ground.

"Okay, Sokka. There are many things you can't do in front of my parents. One of them is trying to shake their hand."

"Yeah, sorry... didn't know that."

Sokka scratched the back of his neck, embarrased, and Toph went on.

"You heard my mom- they're going to force me into some finery. I'm going to grin and bear it, so don't act like an idiot and try to save me. I haven't been home in a few months, and I don't want my parents to think that I've become some sort of savage."

"Yeah, no problem." The warrior replied absentmindedly. This wasn't going too well- he had already made a bad impression on Toph's mother, and her father couldn't be much better about hand-shaking.

"And one more thing." Toph added. "Don't let down your guard. Just because you're my..." she paused for a minute, "_escort_... doesn't mean you can treat me normally here. You have to pretend that you're bent on obeying my every command."

"What?"

"Just pretend. I don't want you to get kicked off the premises for 'disrespect' towards me." Toph made a face. "Just act like you're a servant around my parents. I know that it's hard, and I hate for you to do it too. It's going to feel really weird. But you're my friend, and I want you to stay."

"Alright. So no hand-shaking, rescuing, and 'disrespect'. Got it."

"Thanks, Sokka. Really means a lot." She sighed. "And when you see me in a dress, don't laugh, okay?"

"I know. I'll just have to hide my snickering." Sokka rolled his eyes, and Toph huffed.

"Yeah, yeah." She paused for a minute. "You have any idea what my parents have in store for me?"

"You mean their 'surprise'? No idea."

"Okay."

She walked up to the large doors and gently knocked on one of them. Sokka walked forwards as well, keeping a safe distance away from the door. This was just too weird. He knew he shouldn't have gone with Toph to Gaoling...

"Yeah, Toph, I'm going to go check on Appa now. Can you manage?"

The Earthbender scoffed. "It's my own house. I think I'll do fine."

Sokka sighed and turned back down the walkway. He just hoped that Toph would actually like her parents' surprise.

He hoped it wasn't anything extraordinarily stupid.

* * *

**In the next chapter: The big surprise is revealed, and Toph apparently hates it. What does Sokka have to say about it? Meanwhile, Katara needs someone to talk to, and so far, everyone on the ship has been treating her horribly. Except for one person- Zuko. And as Aang gets more and more help each day, what will finally happen when he wakes up?**


	8. Be My Hero

**Part One: **Winter

**Chapter One: **Be My Hero

* * *

_"What if- what if I don't come back?"_

_"Don't say that. Of course you'll-"_

* * *

The waves lapped and rolled against the side of the ship, and Katara found herself getting drowsy despite the severity of the situation. 

She knew that Aang didn't have long to live.

It was pure torture, sitting in her cabin in the darkness. It was as if she were just living, just taking every breath for granted, and she couldn't bear it. Her eyes fell on the beautiful silk bedsheets, on the finely woven tapestries, out the little window... it was horrible.

Every breath she took made her stronger. Every breath he took made him weaker.

She willed herself to stay strong. She couldn't cry, she wouldn't cry. She wanted Aang to live, and crying seemed to a way to convince herself that all hope was lost.

Holding in a sob, as if it would help Aang to live, she thought about him, his smile, his eyes that danced like flames.

She thought about his laugh, about the way he said her name. Life was like a miracle to him, and he loved it. He loved the world, and would die for it.

_"What if- what if I don't come back?_"

She tried her best to hold in the tears that threatened to flow down her cheeks, and thought of Aang, thought of that moment where his lips brushed hers just for seconds.

Back then, she had never thought it would come to this. She had thought that Aang would never die, that good would always win in the end, that nothing, nothing could kill her best friend. She had never thought how stupid she was for even thinking that he would come out unscathed.

How wrong she was. How horribly, horribly wrong.

_Dear spirits, help Aang. Help Aang to live. _

Praying would do no good, because she knew that nothing could save the Avatar from death. Not even herself.

* * *

Her face remained stone-cold, unreadable, and the warrior glanced worriedly at her. 

She was dressed in a pale-green robe that flowed to the ground, and her hair was done up in a graceful bun, so unlike the quick one that she had always managed to pin up in a matter of seconds. She looked absolutely uncomfortable, and Sokka knew that it was trying her patience. Still, she had to act civilized, and the warrior knew that trying to help her would end up in his dismissal.

So he looked on, silent, as Toph contemplated her fate.

Lao Bei Fong sat before the Earthbender. His face was calm, quiet, but Toph knew that he was nearly bursting with joy. She could feel it, feel his tremors of relief and happiness, and wondered, _Do my parents really care about me? Do they really love me this much?_

She sighed, and knew that they didn't. If they did, they would let her free, free to travel the world and live out her destiny.

Her father sighed and shook her head. "It's unbelievable, really... I never imagined, Toph, that you would come back to me willingly, after the way we've treated you."

_It's not like I wanted to. But if you really feel that way, maybe you do care._

"I understand that you've wanted more freedom. After all, you are a growing girl, and we can't shelter you from the world so much anymore. That's why I've decided to let you make your own decisions. We can't keep you in Gaoling forever."

Sokka's eyes widened. Toph must be ecstatic! Didn't she hear what her father had just said?

Toph bowed her head, a grateful smile on her face, but Mistress Bei Fong, who was sitting next to Lao, quietly sighed. "Go on."

The gentleman cleared his throat. "So, Toph, since you want freedom so badly, we've decided to let you choose a husband. One that will take care of you accordingly. I'm sure that he'll let you travel, as long as he escorts you."

Toph let the thought sink in for a moment, then shook her head.

"I'm twelve, Dad. I can't marry yet. Besides, nobody in Gaoling is eligible."

What kind of a joke was this? She was way too young, and besides, what kind of freedom was a marriage?

Sokka watched with silent fury. They couldn't do this to Toph, not now. She was free, and suddenly, they wanted to marry her off?

"Toph, I understand your confusion. There are so many people in the world, and so little that are eligible. But we've sent letters to all the provinces nearby, and the prominent families will arrive at the ball."

"What ball?"

"The one for your thirteenth birthday." Lao looked at his daughter expectantly, waiting to see joy light up her face. Toph remained cold, quiet, until she stated, very low:

"I don't want a husband."

"Oh, dear, we won't marry you off now," Mistress Bei Fong said hurriedly. "We can't force love, but if you find somebody at the ball, I'm sure we can make negotiations, maybe an engagement..."

"I'm twelve, Mom! I don't want to get married!" Toph couldn't believe this was happening. Suddenly, the world was spinning under her feet, and she felt frantically around her, feeling nothing but air, seeing nothing but darkness.

"You can't do this!"

"Toph, it really is all for the best-"

"You can't make me!" She took a step forward, but she felt so dizzy, felt so numb... was this a dream? She felt the earth, felt it under her feet, but saw nothing but black, saw nothing at all...

"Toph!" Immediately, Sokka dashed to her side as she stumbled, crying out as she toppled to the floor.

"Toph!"

"Oh, dear, are you alright?"

"Spirits, Toph, breathe, it's gonna be alright," Sokka whispered as the Earthbender shook her head, disheveled, in his arms.

"No, they can't make me, you know it, Sokka."

"Oh, Lao, this is urgent... look what they've done to her, they've made her so _blind_ now!" Mistress Bei Fong cried frantically as Lao Bei Fong took Toph from Sokka's arms and helped her up again.

"Toph... Toph, are you alright?"

"I'm fine." The Earthbender muttered. Suddenly, she started to feel something horrible inside of her, some awful pang in her chest, and she felt like crying.

But no, not with her parents here. Not with Sokka here.

She just shook her head again, and Lao wrapped her in an embrace.

"Oh, Toph, it won't be too bad. It's just a ball, really, you won't have to do much."

"Don't make me... you can't make me!"

"Hush, dear, all the fine young men from the nearby provinces, you know some of them, it won't be too bad."

"Mom, just stop, please!"

"Toph, be reasonable!"

"Why can't you see that she doesn't _want_ to get married?!"

The rage that had been building up inside Sokka suddenly grew too large for him to control, and it suddenly burst out, surprising everyone. He looked at Toph, who had protests written all over her face, and at her parents, who were too naive, too naive even to comprehend what their daughter wanted.

Toph, it's alright, he found himself thinking. You have me.

Suddenly, Toph broke the silence, her voice coming out in a small, shaky whisper. "Just the ball, but I don't want to marry... I'm too young, really, I just want to stay like this. I don't need protection."

Lao looked at his daughter, helpless, while Mistress Bei Fong shook her head.

"You're a disgrace, Toph. Your father has invited all sorts of prominent people to your ball, expecting a beautiful young lady, but you're acting like- like a child!"

Lao stammered a little. "Now, don't say that, dear, it's just that we've worked very hard on this surprise, and expected you to be happy, but-"

"You're going to dishonor your family!" Mistress Bei Fong muttered, and Toph looked away, wishing that she could just run to Sokka, just to fly away and never come back again. Lao Bei Fong looked at the scene uncomfortably, from the nervous warrior to his trembling daughter and wife, and shook his head.

"Oh, Toph... I wish I could tell you otherwise, but they know we've got a daughter now, and if they don't see you there, if they don't... they'll assumed you've run off, or done something horrible- Toph, please, listen, there's nothing else we can do now that we've gone and sent the letters, and-"

"It's all your fault," Toph muttered, fury in her voice. "It's your fault and not mine. You were the ones who sent those letters. You were the ones who wanted them to come and marry me!"

"No, we wanted your input, but you wouldn't come back, and the war-"

"Dad, you don't get it!" The Earthbender wrenched herself away from his embrace. "Don't you see? Marriage isn't freedom! It's... it's for adults. I'm just a kid, and I don't want to go and live a life like yours! I'll stay with Sokka, and I'll go, and I won't marry!"

"Fine, then! Stain your family name and leave us in disgrace? Unreputable? Toph, you're a young lady! Young ladies can't go frolicking about the world and kicking up their heels in dirt! You have to stay and prove that you're a Bei Fong! You have to honor your family!"

"Mom, I've tried, but I can't live like this!"

"Enough arguing." Everyone looked up at Lao, who shook his head weakly.

"Toph, you will follow our commands and attend the ball. There, you will pick a suitor or stay forever on Bei Fong property. As for your escort, he may not accompany you to the ball." Lao Bei Fong glared at him, and Sokka tried to meet his gaze calmly. "When choosing a chaperone, Toph, you must look for a well-mannered one. This oaf probably polluted your mind and caused all this commotion."

Sokka waited to hear Toph's counterargument, but to his surprise, the girl stayed silent, her head bowed in submission.

"You will not talk back to your parents again, or your escort is banned from the premises. Do you understand, Toph?"

"Yeah, Dad. Sure."

Lao and Mistress Bei Fong stood up, and both Toph and Sokka bowed.

"I'll go to my bedchambers now," Toph mumbled, and as her parents led her away, Sokka was left standing, wondering where the brave, strong Earthbender he had admired had gone.

_Maybe to a place where there aren't any forced marriages. Maybe she ran away again._

* * *

"Hey, Toph?" 

The girl lifted her head weakly. She was alone in her bedroom, collasped on her fine silk mattress, trying to form an escape plan while reassuring herself that it was all just a joke, all just a game that her parents were playing. She would not have a ball for her thirteenth birthday. She would not choose a husband. She would not stay in Gaoling forever.

Yeah, right.

"Toph, it's me, Sokka. At the window."

The girl sighed, rolled off the bed, and proceeded to yank the window open. Sokka crawled inside, evidently with great difficulty, before tumbling onto the carpet.

"I can't believe them."

Toph groaned and flopped back onto her bed.

"It's all a joke, right? I only agreed to play along, and at the end of my visit, we're all going to have a big laugh about it. It's all a joke."

"I don't know about that, Toph. Your parents seemed like they were telling the truth." The warrior brushed himself off and joined the girl lying on the finely-woven bedsheets. The Earthbender rolled over and buried her head in a pillow.

"Ugh. I just hate it, Sokka!" Was the muffled reply.

"I know. Well, I don't know. What did your parents say when they dropped you off here?"

Toph looked up and scoffed. "Nothing. They never do. They don't care about my happiness."

"Well, they want to protect you. That's a fact."

"No, they don't! They just want to make alliances with the other rich people in the provinces." The girl lay her head down again, this time sideways. "Even if it is all a joke, if I stay here in Gaoling any longer, the subject of... _getting married_... is always gonna be in their heads. Sokka, please, get Appa and take me outta here."

"But Toph, your parents. They're not going to appreciate it, and all that talk about disgracing your family... Toph, they really do care about you, and what would happen if you ran away again? They risked their reputations inviting all those rich people to your ball, and if you leave, they won't be respected again."

"You're right. At least I can Earthbend a little here, with the guards around and me wearing safety padding and..." She stopped, shook her head. "Sokka, I forgot how horrible life was here. I just want to leave, but I can't disgrace my family. You're the plan guy; how will we get through this?"

"Just go to the ball and pretend that you don't like any of the suitors. That's the only way to get out of this marriage fix."

"Trust me, Sokka. I won't have to pretend to dislike any of 'em."

The Earthbender paused a little.

"But you're not gonna be there. What if things go wrong and I have to get married anyways?"

"I don't know. But I'll be around, and if your parents choose a husband for you... we'll take that as it comes."

The two sat there silently, hearing the moon-crickets chirp, and Toph jumped off the bed, Sokka following suit.

"I wish I could stay like this forever. Not growing up, never, ever, getting married..." she stated. "I wish I weren't rich, so I could run away and nobody would care, and I would feel the earth and see everything in the world. I don't want to go to fancy balls, and get engaged to a total loser when I'm only thirteen."

Sokka nodded. It felt like his love for Yue all over again: they loved each other, but they could never be together. They could never be together because she was going to get _married_.

Suddenly, he felt like the whole world stopped spinning and it was just them, just them alone in this one moment in time.

"Sokka?" Her voice came hesitant, questioning. "You're... there's something wrong?"

"No... but I was just thinking of someone I used to know, someone who got an arranged marriage. She was from the North Pole..." Sokka shook his head. "Well, never mind."

"Well, tell me more about her. If that's okay," Toph added quickly. She wondered what happened to this "girl". After all, she was forced into marriage too, and any advice would be helpful.

"Okay, then, I guess it's alright." Sokka felt a slight pang in his heart. "Well, Yue- yeah, that's her name- she was a great person. A really nice, wonderful, sweet person. And she got engaged... to this jerk of a guy." The warrior found it a little hard to explain, but regained his bearings and continued on in a strong voice. "She didn't want to marry him, but she had to- you know, North Pole traditions and all. They were together and everything."

"What happened to her?"

"Well, Yue was really sick when she was little, so when the moon was full, her parents begged the Moon Spirit to heal her. Some of the Moon Spirit's energy became part of her." Sokka found his voice wavering a little, the pain of old memories weighing him down. "So when the Fire Nation attacked the North Pole and... killed the Moon Spirit... Yue gave her life, her life on Earth, to take the Moon Spirit's place." The warrior could see the confused look on Toph's face.

"So the Fire Nation killed the moon, and Yue brought it back to life?"

"Yeah."

"So... she's the moon now?"

Toph couldn't see it, but tears were threatening to escape from Sokka's eyes, and he brushed them away swiftly.

"Yeah."

"And this girl- Yue- you liked her a lot?" Toph asked softly. It was a personal question, but for some reason, she felt like she had to know.

"Y-yeah."

Toph nodded, and shook her head. She let a minute of silence pass before asking, courageously, "What happened to her fiancee?"

"He died."

"Of a broken heart?"

"No." Sokka found himself struggling to keep his composure. "Her fiancee never really cared about her anyways, only about her money and her status and..." He bowed his head, finding it too hard to say any more.

Toph said nothing, but went over to the window, where a full moon looked over the sky. She leaned her head outside and felt the cool wind brush her cheek, felt the freshness of the winter air.

"Sokka, I'm sure she wouldn't want you to be sad. After all, she's probably outside looking over you now."

It was the most sentimental thing she had ever said to Sokka, and she felt herself flushing a little as she felt Sokka's footsteps approaching the open window. She stepped away to let him look outside, and the pale light of the moon shone over his face, shone and illuminated his eyes.

"Yeah, that's her."

Amazingly, Sokka found himself smiling despite himself, and Toph, vaguely embarrased by all the emotion going on, stayed silent as the warrior peered out into the sky.

"So I guess the moral of the story is that arranged marriages always end up in people dying?" She ventured dryly, with a small smile on her face.

Sokka turned away from the window and looked at the blind girl, looking so foreign in those silk robes. But that smirk, that small display of emotion... that was purely Toph and only Toph.

"I don't think people die all the time, but..." He stopped for a minute. "Their lives pretty much end up in ruin."

Toph nodded, trying to comprehend what Sokka had just said, then sighed.

"That's why I need to get out of this place. So I won't die or end up in ruin, right?"

Sokka found himself grinning, and Toph smirked.

"I figured that's the way the story goes."

"Story?"

"The story of our lives," Toph pronounced dramatically. "The awesome, butt-kicking heroine and the machete whacking hero face off against an arranged marriage! We must fight the forces of rich and snotty villains and find a happy ending!"

"So I'm a hero?"

"Wanna be my hero?" The question was asked in a sarcastic manner, but what it meant was clear. Sokka was taken aback, but nodded.

"Sure."

* * *

"He's sleeping, don't bother him!"

"Quiet down, I'm just here to... well, just here to look."

This was spoken in a whisper, and his hazel eyes flashed in the moonlight.

"You should be asleep in your cabin now, anyways. There's nurses taking the night shift. Aang'll be fine."

"He won't. I'm his friend, so I can stay awake with him."

Katara's ice blue eyes pierced his, and Zuko sighed.

"I understand your concern for Aang. But the doctors here are more than capable of treating him. He'll be fine."

"I know. I just don't want him to think that I've left him here to die."

"He won't think that." The prince looked at the boy, regarded him quietly. "You two are friends."

"Yeah."

"He won't think that."

Katara shook her head.

"They said that his condition would worsen if we don't get to the North Pole in time."

"He'll be fine."

"And how do you know these things?"

Instead of the harsh tone that Katara had spoken to Zuko in recently, this question came out a little softer, a little hesitantly.

"I just do. He's the Avatar."

"He's Aang. He's a boy too."

Katara bowed her head and looked at the lifeless Airbender before her.

"Can you imagine him? He's so dead now. But before, he was the best friend to ever have around. He was full of life and free. I can't believe that a person would want to end him... I can't believe your _nation_ wanted to end him."

"You know I was fighting on your side." Zuko paused for a moment. "You know that I've never meant for this to happen."

"How could you have known?" The Waterbender gave a small, bitter laugh. "That's the way the world runs, I guess. In a different dimension, maybe everyone's alive right now! Maybe somewhere else in the world, everyone's rejoicing and so happy that the war is over when really, everything's not okay!" She sighed and looked away. "Maybe somewhere else in the world, people have bigger things to worry about than the Avatar's life."

There was silence for a moment, then Zuko spoke.

"I know how you feel. I know how guilty I felt when my father died. I loved him, you know. You have a father too, and you know what it's like." Katara quietly turned to look at him, and he continued, his head lowered. "When the Avatar ended him, I felt horrible that I was a part of it all. That I was a part of taking him down. But I know that if that hadn't happened, Aang would've died, and so would've so many other people in the world. All for nothing." The prince shook his head. "Like you said, that's the way the world runs."

"You understand too."

"Yeah."

Katara nodded and turned back to her friend. Her friend, her best friend, Aang, who lay, still, on a red mattress in Zuko's ship. Her best friend, Aang, who came so close to death for the second time in his life.

"I wish Aang would awaken," she whispered, almost to nobody. "I wish that I could see him again and just tell him how much I love him."

This caught Zuko's attention, and he courageously asked,

"You love him?"

Katara gently held on to Aang's hand, and she looked at him quietly, looked at that motionless body before her.

"Of course I do. He's my best friend."

She held on to him a little longer, then realized how much she had just said in front of Zuko. She flushed and said no more on the subject, holding tight to Aang's hand and looking at him silently.

_It's gonna be alright, Aang. We'll both make it through this._

"Well..." Zuko muttered. "I'll be getting back to my cabin now. Get some rest."

"Yeah..." Katara bowed her head slightly as Zuko's footsteps faded, and the creak of the door signified that he was gone.

Then her heart hurt so badly, and she looked at Aang, who seemed to be dying so quickly. Zuko's voice rang in her head, over and over and over again.

_You love him? You love him?_

"I do, Aang, I really do," she whispered, clinging on tightly to him.

_You love him?_

_Of course I do. He's my best friend._

But best friends didn't love each other. Not in the way she loved Aang.

She only wished that he would stay alive long enough for her to say that.

She only wished that he wouldn't die at all.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reviewing, everyone! **

**In the next chapter: Toph goes shopping for her ball, and drags a reluctant Sokka along. Meanwhile, the ship draws ever-closer to the North Pole, and Katara is starting to lose hope that Aang will ever awaken. The question is... will he?**


	9. Bonds That Break

**Part One: **Winter

**Chapter Nine: **Bonds That Break

* * *

_He quietly looked inside the window, where the girl was reclining on her bed. Her eyes were closed, but he knew that although she was motionless, she was awake._

* * *

"You can't visit me, you know." 

Toph sat in idle thought, her feet dangling over the edge of the garden bridge. The water danced under her toes, and she closed her unseeing eyes, trying to find some peace. Sokka was standing protectively behind her, holding her Earthbending gear, and nodded.

"Yeah, I know. I would've gotten in trouble for being in your room if you hadn't pushed me out the window. You know, at the last minute." The warrior rubbed his back, feeling bruises and wincing. The weather was steadily getting warmer, and both knew that spring was arriving soon. Sokka looked around at the garden, the bare, dead, garden, and wondered if anything would ever grow there.

The Earthbender took a deep breath, inhaling the cool air. "It's so boring Earthbending here. There's nothing to crush, just my mom's half-dead panda lilies." She dangled a toe over the water. "And I have to wear safety padding and everything. It's so degrading!"

"Yeah." Sokka still hadn't gotten used to seeing Toph in finery, and he felt like she was somebody else, becoming somebody else. _That's crazy, she's still Toph, just different clothes, _he told himself, glancing at the blind girl.

Part of him knew that Toph was still there, beneath the makeup and jewelry and silk. But part of him wondered if she was going to like any of the suitors at the ball, if she was going to give up the old part of her for a new life...

And leave him behind.

This hurt him immensely, for some unknown reason, and he felt an urge to question Toph, to ask her if she loved this life and if she wanted to stay. He knew that Toph would disagree, but in her heart of hearts, what did she really think?

What did she really think about him?

The Earthbender sat in silence for a few minutes before pulling her lanky legs back in and turning back to Sokka.

"Let's go in. My feet are cold, and it's hard to see."

"Alright, then. Want a hand?"

Toph stubbornly shook her head, and the warrior shrugged, watching the Earthbender stumble cautiously down the bridge. Her feet were probably icy and numb from the frigid water, and he knew this clouded her vision. She walked unsteadily, occasionally lurching forwards, and Sokka had to fight back the urge to go over and help her.

"Hey, Snoozles, ya coming?"

"Yeah- yeah, just hang on for a second, alright?"

Sokka walked slowly, holding Toph's gear, and looked around him, at this dead garden that seemed so bare and lifeless. It was tough, looking at this once-majestic array of plants, and realizing that every beautiful flower here had shriveled away and died.

He looked at Toph, who had regained her footing, and was now making her way through the maze of twisted trees and branches. What would this beautiful girl become if she were forced to marry someone she hated? Would she stay strong and radiant, like the springtime flowers, or wither away like everything else that had died in this garden?

Sokka knew the answer, and resolved that he needed to get Toph away from this place.

He didn't want her to lose herself.

* * *

"You know, the North Pole is only a week away. I think we'll be able to get there on time." 

Katara stated this matter-of-factly, more to reassure herself than anyone else, and watched as the ship doctor stirred an herb mixture for Aang's back wound.

"He is getting better, after all, and the healers of the North Pole can help him. What do you think?"

The doctor looked at the Waterbender over the top of his rimmed spectacles.

"You should let us do the healing. Stay out of the infirmary."

Katara raised an eyebrow, and continued.

"Well, Aang's my friend, and I think staying here would do him some good. That way, when he wakes up, he'll see a familiar face."

"Staying won't have any affect on if he wakes or not." The doctor stated, annoyed. "As a matter of fact, with you interfering, I doubt that he'll wake at all."

The Waterbender was taken aback, but tried not to show it. Did the doctor realize what he had just said? How could he say that Aang would die because of her?

"What do you mean?" she pressed, sure that the doctor didn't mean it.

"I'd like you to stay out of the infirmary. That way, we can treat the Avatar in peace. He'll have room to recover and the best of care."

"I'm a healer, and I'm his friend. It would mean a lot to me if-"

The doctor stared at her, and Katara, annoyed, turned back to Aang.

"-Well, if I stayed, I could help him. I'm a healer, too."

The doctor ignored her, and Katara shot a worried look at her best friend before quietly leaving the room.

* * *

_What was this place? Lit with stars, dancing stars, constellations... _

_He floated. He floated high above the heavens, looking down upon the Earth, looking at the peace_

_And he lay there, tranquil at last._

_"Aang, do you want to go down there?"_

_Everything was silent, but it was as if_

_The stars were singing, and the sky was whispering_

_And the light was urging him onwards._

_And he saw the pain of his friends_

_The pain of the Earthbender, forced into a life she had tried to leave_

_And the pain of the warrior, losing what was left of his life._

_But the one person he saw_

_The one person whose pain hurt him the most_

_Was the Waterbender's._

_He reached towards her_

_He tried to talk to her_

_But the shadows held him back._

_The light of the stars grew dim and started to fade_

_And they whispered to him_

_Whispered before they went out,_

_"...Aang...Aang..."_

_Darkness_

_And he was left alone_

_Watching the pain of his friends_

_Feeling the pain of his friends_

_And dying._

* * *

Toph knew she really, really liked Sokka. 

She contemplated this as she sat on her bed, resting, and warming her cold, numb feet.

"I don't want to marry anybody, really."

She said this to herself, but really, she was imagining Sokka before her unseeing eyes.

"Can't I just stay alone?"

She lay quietly on her silk bedspread, scowling at how hard it was to feel vibrations, and was reminded of a flowing river. She felt the silk beneath her sensitive fingertips, and imagined waves of water running under her. She was drifting, drifting...

There was an awful silence, and Toph desperately wanted company. She needed Sokka; she needed to hear him talk again.

"Let's run off somewhere," she thought silently to herself. She knew that Sokka wouldn't approve.

The river was getting faster, and Toph felt nothing but annoyance as she drifted into the silence.

"..."

A tap on the window, and on instinct, Toph sat up, turning towards the sound. Two quick taps, followed by a sharp jab.

"Sokka?"

The warrior nodded, but remembered that Toph couldn't see it, and instead whispered a quick "yeah", pressing his hands against the glass of the window.

"Speak up, will ya?" The Earthbender jumped off her bed, walking quickly to the window. "Whaddya want now? We just got inside." She lifted the window up, letting the cool breeze in.

"I was thinking you'd want to get out of here for a while," Sokka explained, ducking his head under the window so that he could talk. The Earthbender crossed her arms.

"Duh. But you know I'm basically on house arrest, so unless you can blow this place up, I'm stuck in here forever." She leaned against the wall by the window, scowling. "You're crazy."

"Hey." The fifteen-year-old answered back, a little insulted. "At least I found a way to get you out of here."

"Fire away, great plan guy."

She waved a hand in the air dismissively, and Sokka frowned.

"Alright, then. You need a gown for your ball, and you can't see, of course. So I'm going to take you-"

"Shopping."

"Yeah, that's it." Sokka waited in anticipation for Toph's ecstatic answer, but none came. Instead, she sighed and shook her head.

"Snoozles, will you ever learn? My parents don't trust you. They think you've turned me into some sort of savage." She shrugged, tossing her head. "Can you believe them? You heard my mom. She thought you made me 'blinder'. And they don't even want you at the ball."

She rolled her eyes, and Sokka eyed her carefully.

"As much as I want to be out of this place, I know it's never gonna happen. Unless you can fight all the guards, magically make my parents disappear, and disguise me so that no one in Gaoling can recognize me, I'm never leaving the estate."

Sokka sighed.

"Toph, we've fought the Fire Nation, and you're worried about some guards?"

The Earthbender shrugged. "Okay, that's one down, two more problems to solve. How about my parents?"

"Well, if we send a maid along, they won't mind."

"Alright, then. Got any disguises?"

"Wear your Blind Bandit stuff."

"Fine by me." The girl leaped off her bed and started pulling at her silk shoes. "Let's get outta here."

* * *

She had walked down to the dining room of the ship. It seemed so lonesome and empty and foreign. 

Grabbing a slice of bread from the snack platter in the middle of the table, she sat and waited. The waves lapped against the side of the boat, rocking it gently.

"Katara?"

The girl turned in the direction of the voice, and Zuko sat beside her, looking carefully at the snack platter before deciding not to get anything.

"Hi," she managed, trying to look as if she didn't care less.

"Why aren't you with Aang? I thought you said that he needed you." There wasn't any mockery in his voice, only curiousity. Katara closed her eyes for a minute, thinking.

"The doctor told me to leave. He said that I was a distraction."

"But you're a healer, aren't you?"

The girl nodded, and turned away.

"It's no use, anyways. We'll never get to the North Pole in time. He'll never get better."

"How do you know?"

Katara's eyes started to water, but she hastily looked elsewhere as not to display her emotions. She was... relatively acquainted with Zuko, but even so, she couldn't trust him with her feelings.

"I just know. It seems as if he's given up." She sighed, her back turned to the prince. "I don't see how he could ever go back to the way he was before."

A moment of silence, and then Zuko spoke up, out of the blue.

"You loved him."

She turned around to face him, staring at him coldly.

"You never knew how to love, Zuko. You don't know how I feel about Aang."

"Love is universal." He stated casually. "Love between friends is still love. Love between family is still love."

"But you don't understand. Love isn't that simple. It isn't only about care and kindness. It isn't only about families and friends."

"I know."

The prince looked at the table, his eyes distant. There was something painful in his voice, and Katara recognized it as loneliness. There was something in his eyes that reminded her of all the people that had lost love. She had seen it in Sokka's eyes when he lost Yue, and she had seen it in Haru's eyes when he lost her. A quiet understanding washed over her, and she looked at the table shyly.

"It was Mai."

She said this with a question in her voice, and Zuko said nothing. He had said too much already.

But for some reason, he felt that he could say what he wanted around her. He could say anything, and the Waterbender would understand.

He shook his head and left the table, leaving Katara to her own thoughts...

* * *

"Where's my brother?" 

Azula, her back turned to the cell door, still had an air of control about her. It intimidated most people, but to Mai and Ty Lee, it was as common as breathing.

"Well... Azula... he's..." The pink-clad girl shot Mai a nervous look, and sighing, the other girl finished the thought.

"Fire Lord Iroh sent him around the world to apologize for what our nation did."

She raised an eyebrow at Ty Lee, who shot Azula a nervous glance. Even though Azula was drugged to keep her from bending, her mind was still as sharp, and they both knew that she was carefully constructing a plan.

The two girls stood behind the cell bars, the air thick with tension, until the former princess spoke into the silence.

"Mai, Ty Lee... where do your loyalties lie?"

Both girls knew that the only safe answer was to side with Azula, but by doing so, they would mark themselves as traitors of the nation.

"Um, well, Azula, what do you mean by that?" Ty Lee managed, trying to buy some time. The Firebender scowled, knowing what this was about.

"You know perfectly well what I mean. You're my friends, aren't you?" This was spoken sarcastically, as if she were mocking them. "Will you follow my command or the weak, flimsy orders of that fat old man?"

Ty Lee gulped, and even Mai fought for an answer. She knew Zuko wouldn't have sided with Azula, and it wouldn't have mattered if he didn't. Azula was powerless against her own brother, the prince of the nation. But even as a prisoner, she could still do unspeakable things to a circus acrobat and the daughter of a nobleman. By blood, she was higher than them, and she had used her power well. Azula had all sorts of connections to high-ranking people, all of which were still loyal to her.

They would and could do anything to Mai and Ty Lee if the former princess commanded them to.

Both girls knew this, and any answer they provided her would lead to some sort of conflict. Ty Lee would never rejoin the circus if she sided with Azula; she would never be truly happy again. Mai would never be able to face Zuko or his uncle if she sided with Azula, and it hurt her to think that. Both knew that their lives were in jeapoardy, no matter the answer.

Ty Lee spoke up first. A sweet girl she was, but gullible. She valued life. Her parents didn't care about her, and as far as she was concerned, she had disgraced them enough by joining the circus. Siding with Azula wouldn't have any negative effects on them or their position in life. Her decision was made.

"My loyalties lie with you, Azula." She said almost cheerfully, and Azula could've believed it if not for the way her voice shook.

"Marvelous, Ty Lee. You've learned well enough that this nation is corrupt with that old man as ruler." She smirked, her back still turned to the girls. "Mai, you haven't spoken yet. I refuse to believe that you've sided with that fool, but I suppose that's all Zuko's doing." Her voice turned cold. "Zuko. That filthy traitor, that weakling who taught the Avatar firebending. Who was instrumental in bringing my father down."

Ty Lee flinched at the harshness of Azula's voice, but Mai couldn't hear her talk. All she was thinking of was Zuko. The way he held her, the way he smiled at her. The way he wanted to please her. The way he loved her and expressed himself around her. All the ways she had felt around him that she hadn't felt around anyone else.

All of it would be torn away if she took Azula's side, but if she didn't... she could die.

Ty Lee looked at Mai quietly. "Just say yes," she mouthed, her grey eyes wrought with nervousness. Mai looked away.

"Of course, I have no use for weak girls that let their guard down if they love someone," Azula continued casually. "How useless love is, unless used to gain power. There's no doubt that Zuko loves _you, _Mai. But does he love you enough to die for you? Does he love you that much?"

Mai stayed silent. All those times Zuko had been near her, she had felt a sense of security. Nothing could hurt her if he was around. Nothing in the world could bring her down.

But... would he die for her? He had left her so willingly when he had gone to teach the Avatar. He had risked his life in doing so, but he hadn't risked his life for her. No, he had left her behind, instead of taking her with him. He didn't care enough about her.

Her heart was torn in two, but she knew what Azula was meaning to do.

"I don't know if he loves me." She managed.

"Then why are you hesitating? Don't tell me you're one of those weaklings, those girls that value their boyfriends above anything else. If Zuko wouldn't die for you, then why should you die for him?" She put every ounce of cruelty in that last sentence, and Mai knew then that the decision was made for her. Mai knew she had to join Azula, even if it would tear the bond between her and Zuko apart.

There was no looking back now. She could accept this fate and live. Bowing her head, she spoke the sentence that ended it all.

"My loyalties lie with you, Azula."

* * *

"Sokka, when I said to pick something attractive, I meant something comfortable!" 

"Well, it was the maid!" He countered from behind the dressing room door. "How am I supposed to know what girls wear these days?"

"Why didn't you take my personality into consideration?"

"Well, everyone knows you can't wear mud to a ball!"

"What?" Toph yelped as the maid pulled the bow around her waist tighter. "Ow!"

"Ouch." Sokka murmured. The outing planned for Toph hadn't gone so well. The maid Sokka had chosen was impatient, hustling them from one shop to the other. Finally, she had grabbed a dress, paid for it, and gone. Despite attempts to steal a look at the gown, Sokka hadn't seen much of it and could only conclude that it was made of silk and mostly white.

White like a wedding gown, he thought, and shook the thought out of his mind.

"I think that's enough, Lia," he heard Toph say behind the door. "I can't breathe."

He waited for a few more minutes before the door opened and Toph came out, dressed in her normal attire, while Lia, the servant, hustled out, looking red-faced and holding the bag that held Toph's ball gown inside.

"I think it'll be fine, Miss Bei Fong," she managed. "We'll just need to get the Bei Fong crest sewed on, and then it'll be fine." She said this hurriedly, and marched out of the bedroom, Toph rolling her eyes.

"Ugh. That was the most painful experience of my life." She collasped onto the bed, Sokka raising an eyebrow.

"After all that we've been through, you can still say that?"

"Yup." She took in a few breaths of air, and closed her eyes. "I couldn't breathe."

"I know."

"You've never worn a dress."

"Well..." Sokka turned red, and even though Toph couldn't see it, she heard it in his voice. A smirk appeared on her face.

"You've worn a dress before?"

"It was for warrior training!" He retorted, albeit somewhat embarrased. Toph raised an eyebrow, the smirk on her face spreading wider.

"Tell me the story."

"It involves Suki." He stated, and immediately, Toph fell silent. Suki was a touchy subject when it came to Sokka. She had been reported missing for some while now, and even though Toph was secretly glad of her absence, Sokka had taken it hard.

Still, the warrior continued. "We were on Kyoshi Island, a little place we visited after going to the Southern Air Temple. We had just found Aang, and we were on the run from Zuko and his ship."

"He had a _ship_?"

"Yeah, he was a real stuck-up prince then. He was trying to capture Aang, no matter how long it took."

"I think I've known that for quite some time now."

Sokka stopped, and Toph sighed. "Okay, fine. Continue."

"It's rude to interrupt." He stated reproachfully, and started again. "Well, Kyoshi Island's where we met Suki. She led a group of warriors called-"

"The Kyoshi Warriors." Toph finished, sighing. "Sheesh, couldn't they have come up with something more creative?"

"Toph. You're interrupting again. Anyways, I was a pretty bad warrior back then. The best in the tribe, but not very good compared to the warriors on the island."

"Not very surprising, I might add."

"Toph! Well, after proving myself to be the worst warrior on the island, Suki decided to teach me some basics. For a price."

Toph could tell that the story was about to get good, and she grinned. "What was it?"

"Wearing their ceremonial warrior dress."

Toph broke into laughter, and Sokka immediately realized that he had made a mistake.

"Well, Aang did it too! You know, to summon Avatar Kyoshi's spirit!"

"Ha, Sokka! You wore a _dress_ because some girls beat you up in combat?" She laughed harder, and the warrior knew that she'd never let him live this one down. "Classic."

"Hey, Toph-"

"Wait 'til I tell Zuko!"

Sokka blanched, and looked at the Earthbender. "You don't mean that, do you?"

She raised an eyebrow, grinning, and Sokka smiled. "Thought so."

It was as if everything had been forgotten, as the two friends laughed together. It was as if Toph wasn't going to a ball and possibly getting married. It was as if Sokka knew that Suki was safe somewhere and that she wasn't dead. It felt like the world was a little happier, for once.

The sun was setting again, and Sokka looked out the window, still grinning. "Hey, I better get going before your parents get back."

"You do that, Snoozles." Toph answered. She gazed in his direction. "Where do you sleep, anyways?"

"The stables, with Appa." He shrugged, lifting the window up so he could duck back outside. "It's no big deal. I'm used to it."

"Yeah, but you can't chaperone me around smelling like a bison." Sokka grinned, and Toph shrugged. "Well, maybe my parents can set you up with a room."

"I'd like that." He climbed out the window, and looked up at Toph, who was standing by, as usual.

"See you later, then?"

"Yeah, that'd be good." She shot him a quick smile, which he returned, and she nodded, closing the window and climbing back onto her bed.

Despite everything, today had been a good day.

* * *

**Author's Note: I'm really sorry for the delay in getting this chapter written. I've got a lot of ideas now, but whenever I write them out, they don't sound fitting enough. I've decided that the next chapter will end this story arc, and that the next part will focus on the Bei Fong Ball and Azula's devious plan. **

**Thanks for 60 reviews, everyone!**


	10. Our Awakening

**Part One:** Winter

**Chapter Ten: **Our Awakening

* * *

_She heard Zuko's voice in her dreams._

_Mai lay awake in the dead of night, hearing his sorrow._

_"I thought you loved me, Mai. I thought you cared!"_

_She turned her head aside, closed her eyes to him._

_"I thought you loved _me_, Zuko."_

_Her heart hurt, and she walked to the window_

_Flung it open_

_Let the breeze blow her away._

_Blow her away_

_Into his forgiving arms._

* * *

A week had passed.

The clouds had parted, and the sun shone bleakly in the grey-toned sky. The warrior was outside again, by the Bei Fong estate, walking around aimlessly amidst the brown, bare trees and dead grass.

There was something in his heart that told him he had to be here. For Toph. But there was something else too, and it bothered him. He walked to a stone bench and sat down, head lowered in contemplation.

Casting his eyes upon the stone ground, he sat silently as the winter breeze swept by.

* * *

"What is it, Mai? Are you worried about Azula?"

The acrobat was standing on her hands again, a smile on her face. Gymnastics were always Ty Lee's way of cheering herself up, but to Mai, it was just an everyday annoyance. She decided not to answer her friend's question and sat calmly under the shade of a tree, eyes cast upon the palace.

After a while, Ty Lee grew somewhat impatient and broke the silence.

"Well, she hasn't said anything to me, yet." She sprung back to her feet, looking at Mai. "Don't look so down. When Zuko comes back from... whatever he's doing, it'll all smooth out. You'll see." She beamed and did several cartwheels, landing at the base of the tree her friend was sitting under.

"Ty Lee, you don't get it."

"You're right. I _don't_ get why you're so mad. Azula can't do anything to us, of course." Mai observed that Ty Lee was mainly saying this to reassure herself, and sighed, not replying.

"Believe me, Mai. Things will work out in the end!"

"I wish I could say that I believed you, but if I did, I would be lying."

"Mai, that kind of negative thinking is bad for your aura," the girl chided, taking a seat next to Mai. "Even Zuko's aura didn't have that kind of bleakness! Well, kind of." She shrugged, and waited for an answer.

"Ty Lee, Azula threatens both of our lives and you expect me to be cheerful?"

"Lighten up. She didn't say anything about that." She gave a small smile, expecting the other to return it, but Mai merely turned away.

"You know what she's capable of. I know she's planning something."

"She won't be able to get out of there, though. They've locked her up tight."

"Yeah, right." Mai huffed. "Nothing's too tight for Azula. Sooner or later, she's going to find a way to get out of here." Her eyes scanned the palace doors, as if searching for something. "I bet she's already found one."

Ty Lee shook her head in disbelief, but the other girl gazed quietly into the distance, wishing that she hadn't said anything about Iroh to Zuko.

She needed him again. She needed him with her more than ever.

* * *

There were scars on his left arm.

She looked at them quietly, frowning over the deep cuts that left marks on his hands and the burns scattered across his arms.

"Can you heal them?"

"Yes, but it'll take a while."

"How long?"

"About five or ten minutes. Not that long."

"Alright."

She ran her fingers over the Firebender's arm. Despite himself, he winced in pain.

She stopped. "It hurts?"

He shook his head, pride getting the better of him.

She dipped her hands in the bowl of water, drawing it out, and quietly proceeded to heal the smaller cuts on his hands.

"How did you get these?" She mused out loud. He shook his head, but said nothing.

"They look like someone cut you with a knife."

"That's crazy," he answered. Her fingers ran up his upper arm, the water cleansing and healing his burns.

"I was just wondering." She stopped for a minute. "Okay, I've healed all the smaller cuts and burns. The next few will sting a little."

He scoffed. "Why are you doing this?"

"I'm not doing this for you, if that's what you're thinking. I'm doing this for Iroh, because he was kind enough to send you over here with a ship."

"It was part of the Fire Nation's elaborate redemption plan." He closed his eyes as her fingers dipped into the bowl again. "Going to the North Pole and asking for their forgiveness. But to tell you the truth..." His voice trailed off a little, and the Waterbender paused, her fingers raised above his abrasions.

"What?" She mused out loud, and he shook his head.

"After all that time, after all those days of fighting and hurting and helping..." He cast his eyes to the floor, as if remembering something particularly painful. "I didn't know exactly what I was fighting for."

"You were fighting to help the world." She stated simply. "That's what everyone was fighting for. Except your nation." There was an iciness to her tone, and he noticed it silently. "There was Iroh, though, and Ty Lee and Mai. They were fine, but I don't know what they got into. There's others, too, others that were dragged into this terrible war."

"Yeah." Zuko nodded, glancing up. "So many people... so many people getting hurt, all for nothing. They needed hope."

"Hope as in... Aang." She smiled halfheartedly. _I'm _his_ hope now._

"He was the one they needed, and that's why I decided to help him." Zuko's eyes stared into the wall ahead, thinking of what to say next.

"Do you miss her?" Katara abruptly asked, in an attempt to strike up conversation again. Anything was better than talking about Aang. Just mentioning his name made her heart hurt.

"Who?"

Katara eyed him for a second, then shook her head.

"Never mind."

"Wait, you mean Mai... don't you?"

The Waterbender didn't say anything, but watched as the prince sat still, silent, lost in contemplation.

"I do miss her. I have been missing her. But..."

His voice trailed off.

"It's different now, isn't it?" She finished for him, taking the bowl of water away.

"I've missed her ever since I ran off to join your group. But I forgot how she could be infuriating sometimes... so emotionless. It feels like she doesn't care for me like I care for her."

Katara didn't say anything. It seemed as if Zuko were thinking out loud, thinking to himself, and she didn't want to intrude. After all, it was his personal affair, and she knew not to interfere.

"She's still the same. I've always wanted to go back to the way things were before..." He didn't say the rest, but Katara knew what he was going to say.

_...Before I joined the Avatar._

She nodded simply, as if she understood but didn't really care, and said quickly, to change the subject: "You're done now. The bigger wounds will take some more time to heal, but the rest are fine. None are infected."

He lifted his head, acknowledging this fact, but he seemed to be lost in some distant memory, a time before.

"Thank you, Katara. You can go now."

* * *

"Hey, Toph, listen!"

The Earthbender heard the familiar rap on the window and grinned. As usual, Sokka was standing outside, but with a roll of parchment in his hands.

"I've got something that'll cheer you up," he stated, ducking his head as Toph pulled the window up. "It's the guest list for the ball."

"And this is supposed to cheer me up... how?"

"Well, now that we know who's coming, we can totally make their lives miserable." Watching Toph's eyebrows raise, he quickly added, "Or make them never want to come to a party again."

"Haven't we been through this before, Snoozles? Remember, the party has to boost my parents' reputation, not label them as the worst ball hosts in the world." Toph sighed and collasped onto her bed. "Look, it's nice that you went through all the trouble to get the guest list, but really, it's not gonna do any good."

"Oh, yeah?" Sokka held the paper up to Toph, who didn't really do anything. _Oh yeah. She's blind._

"You- um, see," he stated instead, clearing his throat and hesistantly pulling the paper back, "It has their addresses on here. So, if we send letters to every one of them telling them that the ball's cancelled, you'll be saved and your parents will reconsider finding a suitor."

"Oh yeah, sure. After getting a ball gown, hiring caterers, musicians, and a traveling circus for the night, you really think they'd change their minds about the marriage deal?"

"Fine. Plan B." He sat on the bed, getting the feeling that this would be a long afternoon. "We send a letter to _one_ of the suitors on the list, tell them that the ball is cancelled, then have _me_ take that guy's place at the ball. In disguise, of course. Then, you choose _me_ to be your suitor of choice, make your parents happy, pretend to get engaged, then we'll escape on Appa. I'll just say that... I'm taking you on a vacation." He beamed, expecting praise for his well-thought out plan.

Toph seemed to think about it for a minute, then waved her hand dismissively with a simple "Nah".

The disappointment was evident in Sokka's voice. "Come on! It's a good plan, and your only hope for getting out of here!"

Toph shook her head. "Well, Sokka, how will we get you a disguise in time for the ball? Won't my parents recognize your face anyways?"

"They've only seen me once-"

"Twice."

"Fine, twice. But I could pass for some rich guy, right?"

"Sure." The girl rolled her eyes and flipped around on the bed. "Problem is, my parents know all these suitors _and_ their chaperones. They'll probably know what's up."

"I wouldn't be so sure." Setting his face in a smug grin, Sokka scanned the list of names. "Um, you've ever heard of... Tai Pang, in the Long Province?"

"Ugh." She grimaced. "His vibrations were as easy to sense as Appa's." Registering Sokka's long pause as one of confusion, she added, "To put it lightly, he had to lay off the rice cakes. Maybe go on a diet."

"Okay, then. How 'bout Hun Zhang, from the Zhu Province?"

"The last time he visited, I could smell him even before I could sense his vibrations. Trust me, if you want to take his place, you'd have to jump into a sewer to pass off as him."

Sokka read on, and Toph listened carefully, dismissing all of the people on the list so far. This was boring her, although secretly, she really liked Sokka's idea. She had to admit, it was the only way she was going to get out of Gaoling, and although she was skeptical, it would be hilarious if it did manage to fool her parents.

"Okay, almost to the bottom." Sokka cut through her train of thought. "So, ever heard of Gaishi? He seems to be pretty prominent."

"Gaishi." Toph sighed. "Wish I didn't know him, but regrettably, I do. Move on."

"Last name, then." The boy peered at the list. "Hey, I didn't know the Earth King had a nephew!"

"A nephew?" Toph groaned. "Great. Another pushover coming to the ball."

"Do you know him? Wait- have your parents ever _seen_ the Earth King?"

The girl shook her head, and Sokka grinned.

"Well, then, I guess I just proved you wrong. I bet that the Earth King is going to chaperone his nephew, and knowing how completely _gullible_ he is, he'll completely fall for the letter and convince his nephew to stay with him. I'll get to work writing the letter, and you can pick out a disguise-"

"Sokka!"

The warrior stopped in mid-sentence, looking straight at the Earthbender sprawled on the silk bedsheets. Her eyes had a way of penetrating him, a way of making him feel intimidated, even though they saw only darkness. It made him feel like he was being reprimanded, only by a blind girl's eyes.

"Sokka, the ball's only a few days away. We can't possibly do all this in such a short amount of time. Besides, even though most of these suitors are disgusting, creepy, or flat out weird, they've been educated by the finest. They're not dense, and they probably know better than to believe your sloppy handwriting."

She paused for a minute, certain that her argument had a valid point, but Sokka was steadfast. "How do you know for sure?"

A quiet moment, then Toph retaliated.

"You can try your crazy scheme, but I can guarantee that you won't succeed."

With a wave of her hand, she dismissed him, and before he knew it, he was climbing out the window, huffing something about his "great plan" and "underappreciation".

The blind girl lay still on the bed, thinking. Then she closed her eyes and fell into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

_I wish for things I know will never happen._

_I wish that I don't have to be so tough all the time._

_I wish that people could see past this exterior sometimes and just see..._

_Me._

_Me, the girl. The person. The girl who sees, who laughs, who enjoys more than just hurting people._

_I wish they could see how real I am._

_I wish they could see me for who I am._

_I'm not a puppet, Mom. I'm not your doll, Dad._

_I'm Toph Bei Fong. I decide what to do with my life._

_And... if you could see me, Sokka, you'd know._

_You'd know what I think of you, and Katara, and Aang._

_You'd know more than I'd want you to know_

_And for now, I'd want that. Just for now._

_It'll be a secret we'd keep._

_A secret we'd know._

_But if you knew, things would never be the same._

* * *

Mai,

I hope you're doing well. We're nearly at the North Pole now, and I plan to turn home shortly.

I miss you. Give my regards to Uncle.

Yours,

Zuko.

* * *

The cabin was dark, and she found herself awake again, in the middle of the night. The ship tossed lightly above the rolling waves, and she shivered as she crawled out of the warm blankets.

_We're close now, Aang. We're so close to the North Pole._

Pulling on a cloth robe and her boots, she quietly opened the door of her cabin, locked it, then stepped out into the dimly-lit hallway. She had been walking down this hallway for a while now, long enough that she had remembered how to get to the infirmary without even opening her eyes. But... she needed her vision now. She needed to see him again.

It had been a while since the ship's doctor had cast her out of the infirmary, and she was certain that everyone on board was asleep by now. Except for her, and... perhaps Zuko. Katara understood that he had been somewhat reluctant to leave his home after the newly restored peace. She knew that he wanted to spend time with his girlfriend, to make amends with his uncle... the prince had to do so many things. But redeeming his nation came first.

She tried opening the infirmary door. _Locked._ She scowled, impatient, and quickly reached for her waterskin on impulse. It wasn't there; she hadn't brought it with her.

"Need a hand?" The voice was familiar now, and as reluctant as she was, Katara looked into his face and accepted his help.

"Go ahead. I need to check on Aang." She nodded, impatient, and he quickly took a key out of his pocket, holding it up to the door.

"It looks like this is the one." The sound of the key wrestling with the lock, eventually forcing it open. The door creaked as he led her inside.

"Go on. I'll wait outside." Zuko said into the darkness. He lit a small flame on the palm of his hand, big enough so that Katara could find a candle, and she handed it to him.

"Light it," she ordered, and he did, handing it to her without a word.

Nodding curtly, she gave him a faint smile before walking to Aang's side again, like she had done so many times before.

On impulse, he followed, and seeing the girl's frail, fragile smile as she gazed upon the boy's face, he stood by her side, feeling like she needed him there.

* * *

_"Aang, do you want to go down there?"_

_He was asked the question again. He looked down and saw nothing, nothing, until a blur came into view, a blur of shapes and colors and figures._

_"Go down? There?"_

_His voice startled him; he hadn't spoken in such a long time. Somehow, he had the strength to think now, and he saw the world below him as the blurred shapes came into clear, crisp focus._

_"The physical world is waiting. A world of hurt, sorrow, but you will live. You will live, but you will feel pain again."_

_"What pain?"_

_"The wounds of your last battle. The wounds that will take many years to recover from, but the wounds that your friends have cared for."_

_He stared into the colorful mass, full of vibrant life. He looked above him. Stars, strewn across the sky, glistened and spun. He tried to feel, but only felt a strange, pleasing numbness, like his body was gone and his soul was gone._

_He understood, now. This was the spiritual world; he was dead here. He was a spirit, but his body... miraculously, his body lived on in the physical world._

_"You have a second chance, Avatar Aang. You may choose life or death." _

_T__he boy looked about him and understood. The spirits were giving him a choice._

_He tried to remember what it was like down there..._

_He couldn't._

_"What... what is it like in the physical world?" He asked quietly into the black abyss._

_"What do you remember?"_

_"Nothing... nothing at all." He closed his eyes, trying to recall something he had felt before, something so strong that it could transcend death. Above him, the stars shone with an intensity that seemed to burn through the darkness._

_"What do you remember?"_

_"I'm... trying." He thought, thought of that swirling mass of shapes and colors, and thought of nothing. Nothing was that important to him. Nothing made him want to go down there and suffer the pain, suffer the pain from what he had done for the world._

_"What do you remember?"_

_"I don't... I don't..." _

_Then, it came to him. A memory that burned through his heart, a memory that tore him apart and nearly reduced him to tears. It was a thought, a color, a feeling. It was something he didn't know he remembered, but something that he had known since the day he was truly found. _

_"This memory..."_

_The stars started to form constellations, constellations that seemed sewn into the pitch-black of the sky. He stared at the skies, feeling something that he had felt for so long. If it was the last thing he had to do... he had to go back again, he had to tell her. He had to feel this memory again, feel the intensity of her perfect cerulean eyes burning into his. He had to see her again, smell her, hear her beautiful laugh and laugh with her. He wanted... he wanted..._

_"I want to live again." He told the stars. He told the spirits, he told the sky... he told the world. And suddenly..._

_Everything was gone. Only he was there, floating in the silence._

"I know you're there, Aang. Somewhere in there. But it's alright, we're going to make you better."

_I know you. I know who you are, I've seen you before. I think I loved you._

Zuko quietly stood by her side, wondering if she noticed his prescence, but her eyes were fixed on the limp, lifeless body that lay before her.

"I know that you're going to be alright. I know you're not gonna die."

_I think I was dead. I don't know. I just know that it was your memory that brought me back._

"The North Pole. Wasn't the North Pole... fun?" She smiled faintly. "Remember, Sokka and Yue? And the huge banquet, and waterbending lessons, and..."

She stopped for a minute, realizing that she was talking to a body that didn't live anymore, a body that was so close to death that it had stopped being real to her.

And then she realized that the body was limp, lifeless.

It was beyond rescue.

The tears welling up in her eyes flowed down, and soon, she was crying silently, turning away from the boy that she knew would die. She had given up; there was no hope now. There was no chance that he would open his eyes, there was no chance anymore. She knew that every breath of his lungs would be one of his last. He was dying now, before her eyes.

Why had she been so blind before?

She had wanted him to live so much, so much, that she had forgotten that he was injured beyond hope... he was nearly gone.

_I hope I've made the right choice. I know... I know I have, though. I just want to be with you again._

On instinct, Zuko was at her side. "He's going to be fine," he attempted, trying not to look embarrased. "The North Pole is in sight, he'll be healed-"

"There's no way we can heal him now," she whispered, attempting to wipe her tears. "He's already gone."

_I know your name. I know, I remember. I missed you._

"What do you mean?" He asked quietly. "He's still alive."

"He's not going to be any longer. There's not a chance. Look at him... look at him."

Zuko looked, and saw what she saw. His heart sank, he had seen so much of this before, and he never wanted to see it again.

_I know your name._

The girl looked at him with an expression that gave his heart pangs, and he recognized the feeling. It was one of disappointment, depression, a look of lost hope. He had seen it so many times, on the faces of his uncle, on the faces of the refugees of Ba Sing Se, he had seen it on the war prisoners he had visited when he was younger. But he had felt it before, and that was what made him realize that she needed him.

Slowly, hesitantly, he walked to the girl and put a hand on her shoulder.

_I loved you... I love you still, a lot. I loved you..._

On instinct, she recoiled from his touch, but the look on his face was earnest, and she felt herself relaxing, then falling into his arms, the tears streaming down and her heart breaking.

"I know you need someone," he thought. "I guess I'm here, then."

She knew these words without having to hear them, and she cried, cried for her lost friend, the arms of her once-sworn enemy holding her as she broke completely.

_...Katara._

It must have been a strange sight, a Water Tribe girl sobbing into the arms of the Prince of the Fire Nation, but it felt right to them, felt right for some reason. She needed someone to hold on to, somebody in place of Aang... she needed someone. Maybe he was the one she needed.

And as grey eyes flickered open and a thirteen-year-old boy woke up from his makeshift bed, the first thing he saw was the love of his life with somebody else in her arms.

**_End of Part One_**


	11. Silence, Solitude, Serenity

**Part Two:** Spring

**Chapter One:** Silence, Solitude, Serenity

* * *

_At once, the full force of living hit him._

_It tore through his soul, and tore through his head-_

_It hurt so much, so much._

_The pain in his wounds, killing him_

_The pain of thinking again, thinking of so many things_

_And feeling so much._

_Only one word he knew_

_Only one word, the word he'd been dying to say-_

_The name of the person he'd been dying to see..._

_But she was gone. He was alone._

_And this pain hurt him so much_

_Hurt him even more than his wounds_

_For he knew that nothing could heal it._

* * *

Her eyes were closed. Her eyes were closed, and she leaned on Zuko's shoulder quietly, the tears streaming down her cheeks.

She didn't see his grey eyes blink into focus, blink and look at her. She didn't see him looking at her shadowed figure in the silence, watching as the prince's arms held her close and tight.

He was silent. Was this a delusion, a dream? Was this even real?

The boy watched as the two held each other, held each other and forgot the world. Forgot that anyone else existed. Forgot about him.

She didn't see how his heart was breaking, how he took in every tear and every sound and every move she made. She didn't see him wake, see him wonder if this were another nightmare he had yet to wake up from. She didn't hear him whisper her name, didn't hear the strangled sound of a voice yearning to be heard.

No. He shut his eyes tight, overwhelming pain encompassing him, and fought the desire to cry.

_She doesn't deserve this_, he thought. _She doesn't deserve to know that I love her_.

* * *

_She sat, her lips curled into a tight little smirk, and raised her head as the footsteps drew nearer._

_"You're lucky that the weak old fool believes in second chances," she stated, noting the falter in the addressed figure's step as he approached her cell. "Otherwise, both of us wouldn't be here, despite our despicable _treachery_. I'm surprised that Uncle thought to lock me up in this place."_

_She shrugged casually, noticing that her visitor was shifting uneasily as he stood before her, only thin metal bars between them._

_"Of course, you're different. You've been here for years."_

* * *

Mai was never one for silences.

Of course, there were those silences that she liked. She liked the silences of the nights curled up in Zuko's arms, her head resting comfortably on his shoulders as they slept. The peaceful silences spent reading under starlight, the light summer silences enveloping her as she walked the imperial gardens. Those silences were golden, and she wished that she had more of them.

But no, this was an uncomfortable, eerie, empty silence, and it was louder than anything.

She gazed around her room as she sat on her bed, looking at everything. The walls, the drapery, the portrait of Zuko and Mai hanging there. She looked at it intently, remembering how he had commented that Mai was supposed to be taller than him. She had scowled, saying that it would've ruined the overall effect, and hung it up anyways.

She wondered where he was, if he was safe. If anything, she wanted to know if he was thinking of her.

The silence still hung in the air, and she sighed quietly. Why hadn't she thought to go with him? She had known it was his duty as crown prince to make peace with the world, but that didn't mean he had to go alone. Mai suddenly felt a sort of loneliness in the air, and wished that she had someone other than Ty Lee to hold on to. Someone to save her from this bleak and silent world.

_This silence is unnerving,_ she thought. _Even a prison cell would be livelier._

And at once, she was reminded of Azula. She had heard malice in her voice as she spoke behind the bars, saw a glint in the former princess' hazel eyes. Azula had spoken like she was still heir to the throne; she had intimidated her. It was amazing how she had that effect on her, on everyone around her.

Except Iroh and Zuko. _Zuko_.

Mai knew that it wasn't pleasant to dwell on things she couldn't have, but the ghost of Zuko's prescence was haunting her. And with every second of silence that passed, she was reminded of his voice, his touch, his smell. She was reminded that he was miles from home and miles from her. She was reminded that he would be gone for months, maybe years.

She was reminded that she was alone for now. Alone until Zuko returned and held her in his arms again.

For now, she would just have to grow accustomed to dreaming.

* * *

"I finished the letter," he announced. The window was open, and he climbed in, grinning.

"Bravo." Came a muffled voice from the bed. "Leave."

Toph's feet dangled over the side of the bed as she lay sideways, a pillow covering her face. He frowned and snatched the pillow away, causing her to sit up and attempt to snatch it back.

"I was sleeping," she stated as he threw the pillow aside. "So this better be good, Snoozles."

"I'm sure you'll find it appropriate." A rustling of parchment, and he cleared his throat dramatically.

"Dear Your Royal Majestic Highness-"

"Your Royal Majestic Highness?"

"It's rude to interrupt!"

"Sorry, I'm just saying. Isn't that a bit too much?"

"No. These people like to be flattered." Sokka nodded curtly and proceeded to read the rest of the letter.

"_Dear Your Royal Majestic Highness,_

_You have recently recieved an invitation from the Bei Fong Residence inviting you to chaperone your nephew to our daughter's ball. Unfortunate circumstances have caused the ball to be cancelled, and I am sorry to say that your prescence is not requested any longer_-"

"Prescence is not requested?"

"What about that?"

"My parents would be ecstatic if the Earth King showed up at their doorstep, so I'd doubt they'd say that his prescence isn't requested."

"Well, given the situation, his prescence is certainly _not requested_."

"Whatever. Just finish reading."

"Fine, then. _I am sorry to say that your prescence is not requested any longer. Although we are dismayed by this, we hope that you will understand our situation and will not show up. Thank you for your understanding. Signed, Lao Bei Fong._"

He looked up from the parchment, only to find a pair of eyes staring blankly at him.

"That's it?"

"Yeah. You think it'll work?"

Toph sighed. "Come closer, and I'll tell you."

He stepped forwards, and she flicked him on the forehead.

"Hey! What was that?"

"Punishment for being so idiotic." She sighed. "Obviously, you've never written a real letter before."

"Look who's talking. You don't even know how to write!"

This was a mistake, for as soon as the words escaped his mouth, she moved about an inch closer and proceeded to punch him in the stomach. He winced in pain, wondering how the heck that could've hurt so much.

"Okay, fine. Sorry. What I'm trying to say is..." He paused, trying to find the right words that could save him from more physical damage. "Well, I've written a lot more things than you have. And I doubt you'd know how to word a letter properly..."

She glared at him, and he backed away.

"Okay, okay. I bet you do know how to word things. In fact, I think you'd word things very well. But a letter to the Earth King?" He shrugged. "Don't think you can do much better than that."

"Alright, Mr. High-and-Mighty. Wanna bet?" The glare was gone and replaced with a challenging smirk.

"Uh, sure. Problem is, you don't exactly have the capabilities of a letter writer."

"That's where you're wrong. I have a voice, a brain, and servants." She jumped off the bed, stood up, and faced Sokka with an air of superiority. "I also have elegance, wit, and the makings of a lady."

"You're joking, right?"

"I thought you knew me better than to ask me that question." Toph rolled her eyes and crossed her arms challengingly. "Get a piece of paper and some ink, dear chaperone. And while you're at it, bring me some water."

"How are you going to do this? Don't you at least need sight for writing letters? I doubt your feet can help you here."

"Don't ask questions. And hey, who said that I was gonna be the one doing the writing?"

She grinned as Sokka climbed out the window, probably feeling like there was no way in the world she would win. Well, then, he didn't know Toph Bei Fong.

* * *

Icebergs were coming into view.

She felt the chill in the air as she walked on deck, sensed the frigidity of the water. She saw the penguin-seals diving with the current of the oceans, heard the cries of gulls as they flew above the ship.

He looked at her quietly. "Are you cold?"

"No, not really." She sighed and leaned against the railing of the ship. "Growing up in these regions really have their advantages. I'm used to the cold by now." Shrugging halfheartedly, she turned to face him. "I guess I kind of missed it, actually."

The prince took a seat by the railing and looked out into the oceans, at the horizons beyond. He had a girlfriend that was waiting for him miles and miles away. He was to drop Aang and Katara off, offer his sincerest apologies, then return to Ba Sing Se, where he was to offer his sincerest apologies, then go to various other districts, again offering his sincerest apologies. Something told him that it was a trivial task, and a part of him wished that Iroh had undertaken it. But another half of him felt like it wasn't exactly going to be that simple.

_And then, after that, I'm going to go home. I'm going to see Mai and Uncle and home again._

For some reason, the prospect of seeing Mai didn't make tingles run up his spine anymore. For some reason, he rather enjoyed being out in the seas, the smell of salt invigorating his senses and waking him up. He felt like he had a purpose. With Mai, it was just holding her hand and being with her. Not that he didn't enjoy it, but... it just didn't feel the same.

He shook the thought off. He loved Mai, and Mai loved him. Of course he wanted to see her again.

He looked back at the ship, at the deck, at Katara. The girl had tied her hair back into a braid, in the traditional style of Water Tribe girls. He knew he was wondering about her friend, about how she was going to save him. Of course, he was beyond repair... but he knew she was hoping.

There was some invisible bond between them now. They weren't friends, but they weren't enemies. Zuko guessed that it was trust holding them together. Trust and some gratitude.

_Gratitude for taking us to the North Pole,_ Katara had said. _Mostly directed towards your Uncle._

He sighed, watching as his breath made a small cloud in the air. The air was bitingly cold, and he wondered how the girl in front of him could withstand it. If Mai were here, she would probably complain, but Katara... she leaned against the railing, her eyes to the sea beyond, watching as the waves rolled and the icebergs floated away. She didn't mention how boring or bleak or depressing the scene was. She wasn't like other girls he knew.

That didn't mean much to him, he convinced himself. She wasn't his type. His heart belonged to another. Katara's heart belonged to another. They were only former enemies. They were only acquaintances.

And as much as he told himself that, a small part of his heart wished that it wasn't true.

* * *

_**Author's Note:** So, after making your brains implode with some one-sided Zutara, some Aang angst, some Mai angst, and some Sokka/Toph nonsense, I have to apologize about the wait. I've been a little uninspired lately, mostly due to the wait for new episodes, but I'll try to update soon. I'm sorry it was a short chapter, though, but realize that there's nine more to go until the next part. Thanks for reading this far!_

**Things to Come:** Mai begins to doubt Zuko's feelings for her after recieving his letter, and wonders if wishing for his arrival will lead to heartbreak. Meanwhile, Zuko and Katara reach the North Pole, and realize that Aang might have a fighting chance. And Toph takes on the challenge of writing a letter while preparing for the arrival of some unwelcome suitors...


	12. Letters, Lies, and Northern Lights

**Author's Note:**_ You guys all hate me for writing Zutara now, do you? I'm sorry that I disappointed all you Kataang readers, but just know that I'm not very partial to the ship myself. I like Zutara more as a friendship kind of thing. I'm sorry... it's just plot progression. Maybe the damage won't be as bad this time around?_

_(And yes, writing these Zutara moments do give me great amusement mixed in with some inner regret. Here's hoping that this installment won't be so hard on you all.)_

**Part Two: **Spring

**Chapter Two:** Letters, Lies, and Northern Lights

* * *

_There was so much to take in again. So much wonder and grandeur and_

_Light. The light reflecting off the icy, opaque walls_

_And blanketing the seas like_

_A dazzling, surreal dream._

_She stepped forward_

_The young boy in her arms_

_And spoke to the others_

_Her pained, quiet words falling like_

_Rain, like_

_Wind_

_Like snow-_

_The snow that blanketed the ground_

_And covered the ashes of the ones that had fallen._

* * *

"He'll - he'll be alright, then?"

"Our healers will see to it that the Avatar gets the best of care."

A ghost of a smile played at her lips, and she looked at him quietly.

"Will he survive?"

A jarring silence answered, and although she knew it was unevitable, the pain of having her worst fear confirmed shot through her heart.

After all this, he was still going to die. There was no use in lying to herself.

She gave a curt, polite nod and waited. What she was waiting for was unexplainable, she reasoned. She already knew that Aang wasn't going to make it, and the sooner she accepted that, the less misery she would feel.

Maybe she was waiting for him to wake up and tell her that he loved her. Maybe she was waiting for a miracle.

_They carried him away._

He looked so pale and fragile in the midst of all this splendor, like a rock admist a cave of crystals. So weak. She had to resist the urge to run up to the boy and hug him, to reassure him like she had done so many times before. And yet, there was a jarring feeling in her heart that told her not to waste her time with attachments.

She was falling in love with a corpse. A dead soul, a dead body. It wasn't as if he would ever tell her that he returned her affections.

Strangely, though, as the healers took what was left of the Avatar away, it didn't feel as empty as Katara thought it would. She gazed up at the buildings bathed in light and covered in melting snow and felt small.

_But not insignificant._

As the light fell from the sky, she walked away, turning her back on things she could never have again. She was to play a role in something else, she figured. Something that could distract her from feeling sorry for herself and her broken, miserable heartbreaks. Something that could take her mind off of her horrible loss.

As far as she was concerned, Aang was already gone. The sooner she believed that, the better off she would be.

* * *

Zuko,

I anticipate a safe return. Fire Lord Iroh asks of you. Perhaps you should take up a correspondence with him as well.

Your last letter was not as descriptive as I hoped. You must be preoccupied.

Apologizing must be harder than it sounds, Zuko.

Yours,

Mai

* * *

The Palace Garden had always felt eerily consistent to Mai. Silent, consistent, and beautiful.

The light danced across the water of the fountain, and she recalled the summers of years gone past. The summers that had gone by, so fleetingly, that she didn't recall much save for the heat and the laughter. And the exclusion.

She had never really understood the meaning for her existence. There were times when she felt like she had no purpose except to be a pawn, a playing piece for those around her. They told her to sit still and behave, to refuse fruit tarts during balls and to speak only when spoken to. They took her, the obedient, young girl she was, and tried to mold her into a formal, fancy lady. One who could make connections, who could capture the hearts of rich and influential men. She wasn't the most important playing piece on the board, but she knew that she did have some purpose.

She also knew that she could be easily sacrificed.

But Zuko had came along and made her his Queen. It made no difference, in all actuality. In fact, she had been sacrificed all the same, back when he had left her and his nation to fulfill his destiny. Back when a letter was all that she had to remember him by.

Why did it feel so eerily similar, these comings and goings of her prince? Why was it that it all felt the same? His banishment, his betrayal, and now this... it was like a distinct pattern. Zuko left and came back. Left and came back. Her heart broke a little bit every time he did.

At least some things remained the same. The garden. The fountain that she had been pushed into by none other than her prince. The tree that she had sat under for so many years, longing for a day when she could be rid of her tight, uncomfortable dress, her unimportance, her invisibility.

Now, she figured, as she sat under the same tree, staring into the same garden, wondering about the same person. Wondered why he thought so little of her, now that he had seen her and acknowledged her in that way.

She had wondered why duty always had to come before the heart, why Zuko was so "preoccupied" with his work as prince. So preoccupied that he didn't even send her a proper letter. She was the object of his affections, his _girlfriend_. A word of affection would've sufficed, instead of a strange, cold, short note.

His letter didn't seem hurried and rushed, like a prince who was taking some time out of his busy day to write to his beloved. It seemed fake and forced, as if he couldn't think of anything better to do at the time.

_I don't know if he really loves me,_ her voice came echoing back. And she knew, at that moment, where her loyalties lay.

* * *

"You know, I wonder how Aang's doing," the warrior remarked, leaning against the wall as a cool spring breeze blew in from the open window. "I mean, it's been about two months now. He should be healing."

"You mean if Katara doesn't smother him with her nursing first," Toph replied dryly. She sat on the bed, feet dangling from the side. "You've seen the way she mothers him."

"True enough. Anyways, I'm a little worried. Two months without a word from Zuko or Katara... it's kind of unnerving, you know? They should've gotten to the North by now."

Toph stayed silent, pondering the situation.

"I mean, wouldn't they have thought to give us a little heads-up? Some letter or something? They know we're at your place, but so far, we haven't heard anything."

"That's because they're thinking human beings, Snoozles." The Earthbender sighed, a hint of boredom in her voice. "My parents want nothing to do with the Avatar, or you, for that matter. Therefore, any letter would've been promptly ignored, shredded, or downright destroyed. Want me to go into specifics?"

"Eh, that's alright, Toph. I'm good," the boy replied sheepishly. "I'm still worried, though. You think something bad's happened?"

"If something bad's happened, it would be all over the world by now. Trust me." Toph sighed and fell back onto the green, silky sheets that covered her luxurious bed. "Now how about that letter."

It was a statement, not a question, and Sokka knew that it was best to follow orders at the time. He promptly handed a piece of parchment to the Earthbender, who frowned, shook her head, and pushed it back towards him.

"I'm not using this," she stated with mock seriousness. "You are."

"That wasn't part of the deal!"

"Well, you never said that I couldn't have someone else do the writing. All I have to do is tell you _what_ to write. Hmm, so being blind isn't _that_ bad when it comes to letters."

"That's cheating."

"No, it isn't. Now sit your butt down and write."

* * *

_Your Majesty,_

_I, Lao Bei Fong, have decided to postpone my daughter's engagement ball due to unfortunate circumstances..._

* * *

Miles and miles away from home, a prince stood at the edge of a frozen city.

He was so far away. He wasn't banished or a traitor, he was royalty again.

This journey had gotten him to thinking that there was more to his duty than sitting with his girlfriend and eating fruit tarts.

There was more to being prince than sitting on a throne. There was a delicate balance to the world, and it connected everyone and everything. The world was like a clock that never stopped.

It had just hit him that he could be a turning point in how the world ran. _He could change it all._

His power frightened him sometimes.

He quietly slipped into the streets and walked, the moonlight hitting the icy walls and making them glow an eerie, otherwordly white. It was beautiful, yet strange, and it was only now that he saw the grandeur of the Northern Water Tribe. When he had first arrived, war had clouded his vision, made him blind to the beauty around him.

Now he could see the city as it really was. A masterpiece.

It was the same for people, he figured. People like Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph. Before, they had been prizes. Objects. Things he had to obtain to gain honor from his nation, to be accepted.

But then it had dawned upon him that they were just people. And he joined them because of it.

Now he could see how they truly were.

The Avatar's innocence, his charm, his power.

The Earthbender's strength, will, and stubborness.

The warrior's intellect, skill, and his bravery.

_And the Waterbender._

Zuko had never known how to describe Katara. In a sense, she had been a mixture of her friends' personalities, both fierce and caring, both stubborn and compassionate. But there was something more to her, some inner passion that he had yet to see in other girls he had known. There was a fire in her heart, a goal she fought for. She fought for Aang.

He thought to Mai then. An emotionless blah, he had called her. Inwardly, he had cursed himself for insulting her, but a small part of him had held on to that statement and known it was true. And he thought of the times he had held her close to him, the times that he thought she had felt for him.

She loved him, he knew, but he hardly even knew her. It felt so much different with Katara, because she understood him. He held on to that, too, because in a way, she was the only one he had now. She could never be his, though. Her heart belonged to another, and it was cruel to steal it away.

But even if Katara loved him, he knew that Mai wouldn't care.

* * *

The Fire Nation official walked down the corridors hesitantly, his stride uneven as Azula's cell came into view.

"You asked for me," he called into the halls. His voice echoed in the dark of the prisons, and the former princess smirked. The man she had requested was alone, just as she had planned. She turned to look at the official, a small, wicked smile on her face, and her eyes shone with a malice.

"I see that you've followed my instructions. You're very smart to do so, you know. So many imbeciles call the Fire Nation their home these days, I'm surprised that at least some still have their intelligence intact."

She said this, her voice unfaltering and sickly sweet, and the official wondered if it was a mistake to come.

"As you well know, my traitorous uncle has taken the throne. A pity that we didn't do anything to him while we had the chance." She smirked, noting her visitor's obvious discomfort. "Of course you agree with me. Otherwise, I'm afraid that I've found the wrong person."

The danger in her voice suggested a much more dangerous prospect. He tried to stare back unflinchingly, but failed when her deadly amber eyes met his.

"I'm sure you've familiar of the white jade bush. " Azula continued. "One of my _acquiantances_ have told me all about it. Beautiful, but deadly."

The official decided that the white jade bush was a perfect metaphor for the girl before him.

"The white jade is a common flower in the Earth Kingdom, I've been told. My dear uncle has actually had the fortune to be acquianted with it. However, he is still very much alive today." She paused for a minute, seeing a flicker of unease in the man's eyes. "I've also heard that it's easily mistaken for a rare flower that can be used to make tea. The old fool."

She drew a small vial from her sleeve, its contents sloshing in the glass container. The official took it without a word, his eyes betraying his otherwise unnoticeable discomfort.

"The essence of white jade," she stated, as if it was of no importance. "I expect that you know what to do with it."

* * *

_Author's Note: It's a short chapter, I know, but I've been busy lately. I'm so sorry for the break between updates, though, and will try to update sooner. Thank you all for reading this far._

**_In the Next Chapter:_** A young Avatar wakes in a frozen city, and the first person he sees is a certain young prince. Meanwhile, Toph and Sokka mail their letter, and Sokka seeks the perfect birthday present for his blind friend. Mai, Ty Lee, and Azula meet for some conspiring, and Zuko wonders how his uncle's faring back at the Fire Nation. And what happened to that vial of white jade?


	13. Waking From An Endless Nightmare

**Part Two:** Spring

**Chapter Three:** Waking From An Endless Nightmare

* * *

_I love you, Zuko._

_I also hate you with every fiber of my being_

_For making my life so hard_

_And miserable_

_And lonely._

_But I suppose the love outweighs the hatred_

_Because I still miss you._

_Do you miss me?_

* * *

"Waterbending took years for me to master completely."

The firebender sat, enthralled, as the girl drew several waterwhips out from the marble fountains surrounding them.

"This actually took me a week to learn. Aang was the one who helped me perfect it." She bent the three to her will, forming intricate patterns and shapes as she looped the water, drew it apart, then meshed it back together in perfect harmony. "In fact, I learned this move from the Waterbending scroll that I stole from the pirates."

Zuko made a face. "You still remember the scroll?"

"How could I forget? I got tied to a tree."

"Oh. I guess I should apologize for that."

He watched as Katara sent the water flying into the air, bending each whip into a different shape.

"Waterbending is more of a defensive art, actually. It's more graceful. Elegant." She drew the water back to her side and twirled each strand. "Unlike Firebending, which is fueled by passion and anger."

"Hey, not all Firebenders are angry."

"I know, just the vast majority of them are. I can name a few."

"Name all of them."

"Easy." She bent the waterwhips back into their respective fountains and sat by his side, a finger tapping on her chin in mock contemplation. "Hmm, let's see. There's your crazy psychopath of a sister, Azula... no offense."

"None taken. Continue."

"Admiral Zhao, the Combustion guy-"

"Excuse me?"

"Sokka nicknamed him, don't ask. Anyways, there's Sozin, that's a big one, and-"

"What about my father?"

"What?"

Immediately, Zuko could tell that he had done something wrong.

"My father's terrible, right?"

A silence answered his question. He looked at her, studying her reaction carefully.

"He hurt Aang," she said flatly, avoiding his gaze. "Ozai's horrible, he's... I'm just happy he's gone now, alright?"

Zuko could tell she didn't want to speak anything more on the matter and laid a hand on her shoulder. She looked at him, and to his amazement, she didn't make an effort to move it away. She closed her eyes, as if she were trying to block the world out.

"Aang's gone, thanks to him. The world's salvation... gone. They didn't even get a chance to thank him."

"That's not true. We're thanking him now, right? By making everything better?"

"No, it's not that easy." She sat up then, sighing. "Making everything better was what he wanted us to do, but it isn't exactly thanking him. I was his friend, and I never got a chance..." She exhaled shakily, her breath coming out in a small cloud in the frosty, early spring air. "I never got a chance to tell him how much he meant to me."

As much as he hated to admit it, the teenage boy felt a tiny twinge of jealousy as the girl mentioned her best friend. He drew his hand back from her shoulder and sighed.

"You're talking about Aang like he's already gone," he stated. It didn't lighten matters, but he felt like he had to tell her. "He has a chance, you know. The Northern Water Tribe is known for its healers."

"You know that his chances are extremely slim."

"But you know there's that chance." Zuko looked out, studying the snowy expanse before him. "It won't help to give up hope."

The girl turned away, and her voice came softly through the thin, frigid air.

"All my life, I've been telling myself to keep on hoping. It had been the only thing that saved me from caving in to the war."

"That doesn't mean you should stop now."

"I just don't think it's wise to hope when there's no reason to." She looked at him squarely in the eyes, then, blue eyes piercing through hazel eyes. "A friend's life isn't worth lying to myself about. I can either accept his death or hang on to it until he leaves us."

"Why is it so hard to keep hanging on? You can at least think about what it would be like if Aang lived."

"There's no use in that, either. It hurts when your wishes don't come true, and it hurts even more if you wished for something impossible. I'm done with dreaming, Zuko. I've got to face reality and take things as they come."

"Why are you like this all of a sudden?"

She raised an eyebrow slightly. "Like what?"

"So uncaring all of a sudden. When you came aboard my ship, you were practically glued to Aang. But now, you're so distant. It's as if you don't even care anymore."

"Don't ever say that." She glared at him, and he sighed.

"You're distancing yourself from him because you don't want to get hurt. That's selfish."

"It's not selfish! I know that the last thing Aang wants is for anyone to get hurt because of him."

"But ignoring him isn't going to cheer him up much, either."

A uncomfortable silence ensued, and the Waterbender crossed her arms, her eyes downcast.

"Frankly, Zuko, you can't cheer a dying boy much. I do care for him, but there's no use doting on him like a mother."

"You know he needs you, Katara." Zuko glanced at her to see if she was listening. She was tracing a line in the snow with the tip of her boot, trying to avoid any rebuttals to her comment. "He needs you, even if it's not going to help immediately. I can tell how much he cares for you."

"Why are you saying this?" She glared at him then, a hint of annoyance flaring in her cerulean eyes. "Why are you trying to make this harder for me?"

"Because I'm not leaving you until I get Aang's forgiveness. And to do that, he needs to know that we care about him enough to know that he'll survive." He waited for a reply, but recieved only silence. "Katara, you said that you loved him. How can you love someone who you think is dead already? How can you love someone you don't believe in anymore?"

"I never said that I stopped caring about Aang," came the muttered reply. "The only reason you're telling me this is because you want to gain our favor."

"I guess we're both selfish, then," he replied then, the cool spring breeze billowing across the frozen city.

* * *

"Since your birthday's coming up, I figured I should get you something. You know, as a gift."

Sokka looked at the girl pointedly, and she shrugged.

"I think getting me out of here would do. I'm probably gonna get all sorts of fancy stuff anyways, so don't waste your time."

"No, really. I should get you something nice." He paused for a second, noticing the grimace on the girl's face. "I mean, not _fancy_ nice, but something you'll like."

She shifted on the bedspread slightly. "I'd like to get out of here."

"True, but seeing as it's your birthday and all, you know?"

She sighed. "Why do you care so much? It's just turning another year older. I'm still blind, breathing, and alive."

"I know that. You just deserve something for all the times you saved my butt this year." He shrugged, and Toph raised an eyebrow. "After all, we gave Aang presents for his birthday."

"That's because he's not getting engaged at a fancy ball anytime soon."

Sokka frowned. "Fine. But I'll get you something anyways."

He got off the bed and walked towards the window, leaning ever-so-slightly on the wall.

"Did you mail the letter yet?" Toph ventured. A short silence before the warrior replied.

"Yes and no."

"What's the bad news?"

"I don't have the Earth King's address." A blank expression fell upon the blind girl's face, and she sighed in mock disappointment.

"Oh, dear, Great Plan Guy. Whatever shall we do? This wasn't your fault at all, by the way, blame it all on the Earth King for not telling us his address!"

He glared at her, remembered she couldn't see it, then gave up trying to display his impatience.

"Well, the good news is, I did mail the letter to the Earth King's nephew. His address was on the guest list, so it was fairly easy. I just hope he gets the hint that the letter was addressed to his uncle."

"Anyone who doesn't get the hint probably isn't very high up in society."

"Fair enough. Now, back to the present."

"Can we change the subject?"

She flopped over on the bedspread, creating wrinkles in the smooth silk covering. "Look, I still have the meteorite bracelet you gave me. I like it a lot. Can't that count for my present?"

"I don't get why you're so against birthday presents."

"Well, typically, presents are used to _celebrate_ birthdays."

"I know that."

"I'm turning thirteen, and if our plan doesn't work, what will we be celebrating? A life of being locked up and another year of Earthbending lessons. Beginning year." She scowled at the thought. "The only thing I can celebrate at this point is getting out of here, which is a present good enough for me."

"So we're celebrating our escape?"

"Yeah, pretty much. It sounds kinda desperate when you put it that way, though."

The warrior thought for a moment.

"Alright, then. I won't get you a birthday present."

"Good."

"I'll get you an escape present."

"_What?_"

"We're celebrating getting out of this place, so you need something to remember it by." He paused for a minute, realizing how utterly idiotic he must have sounded to Toph. She considered his words for a second before replying.

"Escape present. Sounds good to me." She twirled the meteorite bracelet around her wrist absentmindedly. "Just don't get me another dress."

The grin on the girl's face was the only reply Sokka needed.

* * *

"Where are you going?"

Katara looked at the prince quizically, and he sighed.

"I'm going to visit Aang. He needs to know that someone actually hopes for his recovery."

Zuko paused for a second, noticing the discomfort in Katara's eyes.

"I take it that you don't want to come?"

"No, just... tell him I said hi." She averted his gaze and walked away, her boots crunching in the melting snow.

* * *

_It's silence. It's cold, and there's no sound._

_It's feels different,_

_But I can't remember how I felt before._

Muted voices from outside. Sounds.

"He's recovering. Try not to disturb him, though."

_The last time I saw her_

_Was that night._

_It was just a nightmare, after all._

_There's no point in believing in the unreal._

Footsteps as he approached the boy. Quietly, he stepped forwards. Hesitantly, he stopped.

_I haven't been able to think in a while._

_Lately, I've realized how much I've missed having some semblance of consciousness._

_I've missed many things._

_I've missed feeling her arms around me._

Seeing the boy wrapped in bandages, dying, made him wonder if he had made the right choice in coming.

His eyes were closed; his chest rose and fell with every labored breath. He was weak, but still alive.

Dying, but alive.

"I might never have the chance to tell you this," the visitor began, the sound of his voice cutting through the silence. He paused for a second, noticing the eerie silence in the air.

There was no reply. Zuko hadn't expected one. It was like talking to the wall.

"I just wanted to tell you that... I'm sorry. I need to apologize for what I've done. For what my nation's done."

Silence. He continued, eyes downcast.

"The Fire Nation's ended so many lives and hurt so many people. The Fire Nation hurt you, and I'm sorry for that. I need your forgiveness. I need the world's forgiveness. That's why I'm here."

_Is that all, Zuko? Is that all you're sorry for?_ An inner voice gnawed at his soul, and he took a deep breath, looking away.

_I'm sorry that I love your best friend, Aang. _

He gazed at the floor, trying not to look at the boy before him.

_I'm sorry that I love your Waterbending teacher._

He looked up, expecting to see the same lifeless, dying body before him. The same sleeping boy. The same Avatar.

Two grey-brown eyes stared back at him from the makeshift bed.

* * *

Two hours after a reputable Fire Nation official dined with the Fire Lord, a royal taster was found dead on the palace grounds.

A tray of tea lay on the ground beside him, the spilled beverage wet on the tiles. Broken porcelain littered the floor.

* * *

"Aren't you mad, Azula? He failed. The Fire Lord's still in perfect health."

Ty Lee said this with a smile on her face, although Mai could see that her hands were trembling.

"Of course not." The former princess studied her fingernails with mock interest, her eyes flashing. "I merely wanted to test his loyalty."

She looked at the two girls before her, and this time, Mai stared back without any hesitation.

"I have the utmost faith in the two of you. Where your loyalties lie shouldn't be issues to me anymore. Unless, of course, there's something I need to know about." She cast her gaze on the raven-haired girl, who remained stoic.

Azula turned away.

"You recall our siege on Ba Sing Se. It was a simple plan, really- we only needed to gain the Earth King's trust first."

Nobody dared to interrupt, even during her brief pause, and she continued matter-of-factly.

"We had to disguise ourselves to do so, though. It was easy to convince the king that we were on his side, with the help of that Water Tribe imbecile. But this time, though, we don't have anything to prove. This time, we'll all be ourselves."

She turned to Ty Lee and Mai, who were listening intently.

"Fire Lord Iroh has placed his trust in the two of you. You've done nothing against him directly, Ty Lee. Mai, you've provided companionship to his nephew. He has every reason to believe you're on his side."

Mai nodded, although an inner feeling told her that it was wrong even to agree with the former princess.

"Your task is simple enough. Gain his trust, then we'll take him down when he least expects it." A smirk spread across her face. "And with dear Zuzu gone, it won't take long for someone else to take the throne. Someone worthy."

She looked at the two of them again, her amber eyes piercing through the cell bars.

"Someone like me."

* * *

_Author's Note: So, why is it that I've decided to update so quickly? Well, I'm pleased to inform you that I'm finally cured of writer's block. Maybe it has to do with seeing the new episodes on DVD, but in any case, i've discovered a new enthusiasm for this story. I'm not sure if quick updates will be consistent, but I'll try. Thanks for over 100 reviews!_

_In the next chapter: Too bad stores don't specialize in "escape presents". As the Bei Fong Ball draws closer, Sokka finds himself wondering what to get Toph (and why he cares so much). Zuko has a lot more to deal with now that he has a confused girlfriend, a waterbender friend in denial, and some explaining to do to a certain Avatar. Mai finds herself doubting her decision after some quality time with Fire Lord Iroh. And Aang wonders if he ever really woke up from a nightmare... or if it just began._


	14. The Weakest Flame

**Part Two: **Spring

**Chapter Four:** The Weakest Flame

* * *

_He's awake._

_He has a chance, and_

_I need you to believe in him again._

_We're losing him,_

_I can see it in his eyes._

_He loves you,_

_And his heart is breaking._

_Listen to me_

_And tell me that you know this._

_Tell me that you understand._

* * *

_**Part One: Zuko and Mai**_

* * *

_Mai,_

_I'm sorry that my letters are so short now. There's so much to be done, and I have to do it all if I want to go home and see you again. I hope you're doing well._

_The North Pole is magnificent, but cold. I don't know if you'd like it here, but in any case, know that I'm thinking of you._

_Yours,  
Zuko_

The prince watched as the Waterbender walked to the infirmary.

He remembered the look in her eyes when he told her that Aang was awake. There was a mixture of confusion and disbelief, but there was a spark of hope as well. A small spark, barely enough to convince him that she believed in his recovery. But as a Firebender, he knew firsthand that flames, no matter how small, could become something more.

She had accepted this fact without a word. If she had thought Zuko was lying, he would've never guessed it. Her face was blank, and there was no joy or relief or happiness in her face when he told her. It was as if she were internally preparing herself for disappointment, and although Zuko knew better than to tell her this, he knew that she had some reason to.

He also remembered the look in the boy's eyes. His face had held an expression that wasn't quite explainable- some semblance of anger and fear and curiousity meshed into one emotion. He had just looked, and the prince could see it there, in the Avatar's eyes. He could see that he wasn't welcome.

It was somewhat disheartening to know that the boy preferred Katara's company to his own, but he had never really expected to have Aang trust in him completely since the day Azula struck him down. Firebending Master or not, their conversations had been brief, momentary, never really personal. Zuko hadn't thought of the boy as a friend before, and when the war ended, the first thing on his mind had been his home and his reclaimed honor.

It was only now that he realized how selfish he had been.

This boy was suffering, and his friends were as well. He could see the pain in Katara's step, the quiet way she handled things. It was as if what was left of the joy in her life was draining away, day by day, until it was as faint as the pulse in Aang's heart. He could see that the bond between them was stronger than she let on. Their desties had been entwined together until one couldn't live without the other.

Zuko then understood that if the boy died, Katara would as well. She wouldn't get over it or learn to accept it, like she was pretending to do now. She would break down and disappear completely, and become a ghost of herself. Aang had been her passion in life, her joy.

Death was better than being deprived of those things. Zuko realized, then, that Aang's life was more important than he had thought.

--

_Prince Zuko_

_Thinking of me? How touching. It would have more of an effect on me if I knew you meant it._

_I know that you're not as busy as you say you are. Your last letter was too neat to be done in a hurry. I can tell, Zuko. I know you that well._

_I would be a little less irate if I knew you had been honest with me._

_Mai_

She walked into the throne room, her footsteps echoing in the half-darkness of the chamber, and bowed her head in respect as she stopped in front of the Fire Lord. If Iroh had shown any surprise at seeing her enter, he didn't show it, and motioned for her to sit down.

"Prince Zuko sends his regards," she found herself saying, even though Zuko hadn't thought to do so in his last letter. There was a short silence before she realized that Iroh wasn't going to reply to that. She took a deep breath.

"He's reached the North Pole now, and he's safe. I wanted to let you know."

The Fire Lord considered this for a moment, and then looked at her calmly.

"Something seems wrong, Lady Mai. You don't seem like yourself."

"I just..." she didn't know what to say, really. She had expected Iroh to do all the talking.

She could go the easy way, then, and lie.

"I miss him."

It was a bit painful to say, partly because it was saying something personal in the prescence of the Fire Lord, and partly because what she had said was true. It was a bit embarrassing nonetheless, but she remembered Azula's plan and put her emotions aside. After all, it was worth being a kiss-up if it meant living another day.

Azula wouldn't accept failure from her, so she had to play her cards right. Getting on Iroh's good side was a start, even though she knew she would probably have to sit through a lecture of "princely duties" and "love finding a way, despite the distance".

She almost expected to hear as much, but instead, Iroh smiled in that wise way of his and replied thoughtfully.

"Zuko always seems to move so fast. Every time he's able to rest and start a new life, he has to go another direction. It is the course of his destiny, and he knows that leaving will be hard on both himself and the people he leaves behind. But it's the path he has to follow."

He paused for a second. Despite Azula's plan, Mai found herself listening to what the Fire Lord was saying to her. She had actually missed talking to someone other than Azula and Ty Lee, and she knew that none of them understood what she was feeling. None of them had that wisdom and insight.

But she had a job to do, so she couldn't get too comfortable. She nodded once to signify that she understood, and Fire Lord Iroh continued.

"This path will take him far away from the people he loves. It will take him far away from you, and he knows that. But, in time, he will see the world from a different perspective and know what it truly means to be Fire Lord. That is where his destiny leads, and he will have all the wisdom he needs to rule the Fire Nation fairly."

He smiled, and Mai tried not to let his words get to her. But it was true, Mai missed Zuko. And now that she understood exactly what the prince had set out to do, it was a little less painful to her.

"I understand," she found herself saying. Mai was saying a lot of things subconsciously now, just like she had done with Zuko. There was a certain air of comfort in the throne room, one that distracted from the cold, hard floor and the shadows of the dancing flames behind the throne. And although it was against her better judgment, Mai realized she could say anything in front of Iroh, and he would understand. It was one thing that he and Zuko didn't have in common.

--

_Mai,_

_I'm sorry if you feel that way. Separation from my home has been hard, and I can only imagine how it must feel like for you in the Fire Nation. Bleak, depressing, boring. I feel that way too, sometimes. _

_The truth is, Mai, I'm not sure what to think of these things anymore. I'm seeing things through my eyes now, not through the eyes of a prince. The war's torn apart so many lives, and before, I used to be part of that. Now, I need to help fix the mistakes I've made. To do that, I have to stop seeing things like Crown Prince and look at the world through someone else's eyes. Through the eyes of a seventeen year old boy, I suppose. _

_Mai, I don't know what to make of this new perspective, but it's taking my mind off of the loneliness. It's just keeping me preoccupied for the time being. I'm sorry that I can't devote more time to you, Mai, but I know I need this wisdom, and I can't really be spending too much time on what I left behind, though it hurts me. It's what I have to do, and I know you'll understand. _

_Send Uncle my regards._

_Yours,  
Zuko_

_PS. Busy or not, my letters to you will always be neat. You deserve as much._

--

_Zuko,_

_When you said that this "new perspective" was taking your mind off the loneliness, did you mean that it also took your mind off of me? You're so busy seeing this world with new eyes that you can't even stop to appreciate the people who miss you. Zuko, I know that you need this wisdom to become a better prince and a better Fire Lord. I know that you might have felt a flicker of homesickness. But really, do you expect me to believe that short, fake sentiments would make me feel any better? _

_It reminds me of the letter you wrote me a while ago. I'm sure you'll recall what it drove me to._

_You could've at least told me that you still felt something for me._

--

_Mai,_

_You didn't sign your last letter. I miss seeing your fancy handwriting._

_To be honest, I do still feel something for you, Mai. I can't tell you right now, through these letters, because I can't really explain it. The truth is, I've always cared for you, and I still do. But right now, I can't really tell how much._

_Zuko_

--

_You are a master of sarcasm, Zuko. "Fancy handwriting"? That made my day._

* * *

**_Part Two: Toph and Sokka_**

* * *

_Hey, Sokka. _

_You're probably wondering how I wrote this note. Well, I didn't. I asked one of the servants to help me._

_My parents are going to take me to pick out arrangements for the ball, so you'll be alone for the day. You can go shopping or something._

_Toph _

"Shopping or something. The escape present, huh?"

The sixteen-year-old examined the piece of paper attached to the window and took it, skimming it again.

"Then again, I have no idea what she would like..."

He sighed, pocketing the note, and walking down the path to the stables again. Despite Toph's requests for a room for Sokka, her parents had remained steadfast and firmly stated that they didn't want her "escort" contaminating the premises with his strangeness.

At least, that was what he had interpreted a "no" as.

The garden was slowly resurrecting again, and it made his walk a little more fascinating as he studied the buds forming on the trees and the tiny hints of a plant poking out of the soil. By the time Toph had her birthday, the garden would be in bloom completely. It would be beautiful, and it would be the last time they ever saw it again. He grinned as he pictured how ecstatic she would be when he flew her away, flew her into the clouds and into the northern skies. They would laugh about their time at the Bei Fong estate and agree that it was much better to be free. Toph would admire her escape present just as much as she had obsessed over the piece of meteorite he had given her a year ago. It would be just the two of them again, laughing and joking and being their sarcastic selves.

Freedom sounded so good right about now.

Instead of walking to the stables, he made a quick turn and made his way towards the front gates. The guards were there, as always, but regarded him with nothing more than a nod. Sokka had been at the estate long enough to be a familiar face, and he walked outside with a sigh, realizing that this was the life that Toph had to live for twelve years. It hurt to know that such a great girl had to be confined to this boredom.

--

Toph could hardly care if there were pink, fluffy clouds sewn onto her dress. She just wanted to get out of it.

Her mother was nervously fretting over the tiniest, most insignificant details the twelve-year-old could imagine. The amount of pins needed in her hair, the tempo of the music, how much sugar was in each fruit tart... and, of course, what adjustments needed to be made to that annoyance of a ball gown. it was suffocating her, pinching her in places she never wanted to be pinched in, but she stood perfectly still and waited like the good little girl they wanted her to be.

It was like making wedding arrangements for the youngest bride imaginable. Toph realized then, with a sudden feeling of dread, what an absolute terror a real marriage ceremony for her would've been like.

_At least Sokka's gonna get me out of here,_ she thought as the adults conferred over which fabric would be better suited for the trimming. There was doubt in her heart about his plan, but it couldn't hurt to hope a little. Thinking about Sokka was a good distraction, she mused. It took her mind off of the endless prodding and measuring and murdering they were doing to her.

Her mind wandered to his "escape present" idea. It had seemed like another frivolty to her until she realized that it was _Sokka_ offering a gift to her. He didn't have to do it, she knew, and it touched her to know that he would go to so much to celebrate getting out of here with her.

The first thing she would do when she was free would be to burn this dress.

--

"Jewelry's out of the question. She doesn't want anything fancy." He looked at the displays set around the streets, the bright colors turning the corners of Gaoling into minature festivals. "Let's see. There's wooden stuff... Toph can't bend that. There's metal stuff, but she won't like those... they're boring." He sighed, noticing how desperate he was getting.

_Yeah, I'm so desperate that I'm talking to myself._

He rounded a corner and surveyed the shops, eyeing the merchandise on sale and trying to pick out something Toph would like. Appearance didn't matter much, as the Earthbender had no vision, but he still wanted to choose something nice. She deserved as much, anyways.

He sighed and walked down another path, beginning to lose hope. It was getting late, and Toph would probably be back soon. He wanted to see her again, to know what had happened during the arrangements.

Of course, she would be expecting a present, so he had to hurry.

The stalls of the next street were all but closed. Merchants stumbled over each other as they struggled to pack their merchandise and cart it away. It wasn't the busiest street, but a lot was going on. Sokka found it hard to maintain his sense of direction as he got swept away by the crowd of people.

"A fabric shop, closed. A bakery, closed. A- wait."

He stopped, and a merchant nearly collided with him as he stood in front of the only store that was still open.

"I think she might like this stuff."

* * *

**_Part Three: Aang and Katara_**

* * *

"Aang."

She knelt by his bed, her fingers gently caressing his, as he lay quietly by her side.

"You need your rest. Don't waste your energy on me." She looked into his eyes, trying to find some flicker of understanding hidden in his gaze. There was nothing but confusion and a hint of sadness.

"I'm not tired." He whispered faintly. It was the first thing he had tried to say, and she looked at him sadly, a small smile on her face. "Why is Zuko... why is he here?"

"He's here to apologize for what his nation's done. He won't hurt you."

A short silence before the boy replied, his words pained and soft.

"I missed seeing you. And... everything's changed now."

"Yeah." She gently stroked his cheek, trying to erase the anguish in his eyes. "It's different now. We're at the North Pole, and we're going to try to get you well again." She looked at the bandages, at the broken bones and cracked heels. "Does it hurt a lot?"

"It hurts, but it's not so bad now," came the faint answer. "You helped me."

"Mm." She sighed and stood up, removing her hand from his face. "Zuko and I. We helped you."

There was no reply, and the Waterbender smiled for a second before placing a soft kiss on the tip of his arrow.

"You know that I'll do everything I can to help you, Aang. Get some rest."

Silence, save for the sound of Katara's footsteps as she left the room.

He lay alone and wondered why Katara hadn't hugged him, hadn't wrapped her arms around him and told him that everything was all right.

Things had changed, he remembered. It was different now.

It hurt him even more than anything.

--

Aang didn't know why Zuko was so ignorant.

Of course, the prince had caught his expression when the boy finally woke. The look in his eyes was enough to make him leave. Zuko probably had no idea why, though, and that was what bothered the young Avatar most.

No matter how many times he had tried to disregard that night as a bad dream, the thought of Katara in Zuko's arms haunted him. It was a vague memory to him, but he remembered the feeling of his heart shattering completely. And how he held her... he held her with a gentleness, a possesiveness, a certain sort of care. And she had sank into his arms completely, not making an effort to move away or care about anything other than his arms around her.

The pain of this memory haunted him when he closed his eyes, but most of all, it wormed into his thoughts every time the prince came near him. And whenever he saw Katara, he couldn't help but try to hold her near, to try to ask her why he had fallen into Zuko's arms so easily.

He did try the second time she came to visit that day. He did try, but the words couldn't form in his mouth. He just lay there, as she looked at him with that same expression, that same, sad smile.

He felt like he was paralyzed, a living soul trapped in an unmoving body. A living soul seeing the girl he loved sit there and look at him, pitying him, wishing there were some way this poor boy could be free. And the thing was, he knew that although a part of him thought that there was some hope, the look in the girl's eyes gave him the impression that she didn't think so. All the talk of making him better and such... it was all a lie.

He knew, in his heart of hearts, that he wasn't going to make it. If Katara believed it, then it might as well be true.

He did learn a few things, though. He learned that he was thirteen now, and that she had made him a cake that nobody had bothered to eat. She had brought a small carved bison out of her knapsack, placed it gently in his hands, and told him that Toph and Sokka had spent hours making it. It was hard, she said, because Sokka's clumsiness kept getting in the way of things. Aang had listened with a small smile, but there was a gnawing feeling in his heart that told him there was so much more that was left unsaid.

Aang also learned that he still didn't have hair. He had been asleep for far longer than before, but Sokka had taken care of everything. He wasn't quite sure why, but Katara assured him that it was a small detail. He shouldn't waste his energy thinking about such things. He was told that only Katara and Zuko were here with him, as Toph and Sokka had gone to Gaoling as requested by the Earthbender's parents. The thought of Katara and Zuko _alone_ made his heart sink a little, and he got a little mad at his other friends for letting Katara go like that.

Finally, the young Avatar learned that Katara was different. The gleam in her eyes was gone. Her voice didn't hold warmth and comfort anymore; the music in her words had been worn down and defeated until the only thing left was a quiet desperation. No matter what she said, he heard it in her breathing and saw it in her smile. He was glad that he was awake now, so that she could hold on to that one fact. He was awake. He was _alive_.

--

The only thing that told Katara that Aang was still living: he could talk to her.

The things that Katara heard were things that she never thought she could hear again. For example, the way Aang laughed. It was different now. There was some sort of maturity in the way he smiled, the things he said. She said that she was proud of him for hanging on for so long, and he had smiled sadly and asked her if she had believed that he would.

She couldn't answer that question truthfully, so she had remained silent, gently stroking his hands.

The healers had outdone themselves, and slowly, she could see some of the strength returning to the boy. It was only a fraction, though, of the Avatar she had known so long ago. She would tell him stories, talk to him, answer his questions about Toph and Sokka. Once, he had even gone so far as to ask about the Fire Lord's defeat. She wouldn't talk about it, and replied only with a simple "he's gone, and I'm proud of you for being brave."

It hurt to see the hope in the boy's eyes. Hope was just another word for wishful thinking, and wishes never really came true.

One thing Aang had avoided asking about was Zuko. Katara wasn't sure why this subject was so hard to bring up, but she didn't say anything more about the prince after he had requested her not to talk about him. There was something in his voice that day, something that she recognized, but didn't want to name.

It was jealousy.

Katara longed to tell the boy that Zuko had a loving girlfriend and had no intentions of being with her. Aang wouldn't hear an more on the subject, though, so she kept quiet and watched him breathe. It was a miracle that he had lived through winter, but he was still on thin ice.

She knew that things could never go back to the way they were before. She didn't regain her hope; just abandoned what was left of it. She talked to Aang every day, knowing that their moment together could very well be their last.

Her hope died away when she realized that he wasn't getting any more stronger after that point.

--

_She walked into the room again, like she had done so many times before, and stopped when she realized that his eyes were closed._

_Aang had never been asleep when she visited, and she had always come around the same time each day._

_She walked over, her heart beating quickly, as if it knew that something terrible was going to happen._

_Touching his face, she quietly moved her hand down until it was at his chest. She kept it here, anticipating a pulse, and stopped when she felt the tiniest flicker underneath her fingertips._

_The weakest flame. The only thing keeping him alive._

_She sat by his side, her fingers still pressed against his chest, feeling his heartbeat and hearing him breathe into the silence._

* * *

**Author's Note:** This was a pretty long chapter, and it wasn't as action-y as the other ones. I wanted to try something new in this story, and I kind of went in-depth with Aang and Katara's side of the story. As for Sokka and Toph, I think I need to develop that storyline a little bit more. Mai and Zuko aren't having the best of relationships right now... wonder how that'll play out.

Since it's been about a year since they set off on their journeys, Zuko is seventeen, Sokka is sixteen, and Katara is fifteen. Aang is thirteen, and Toph is still twelve (but almost another year older). So if you noticed the years I've written in this chapter, please note that it wasn't a mistake.

**In the Next Chapter:** Aang asks Katara a very daring question. Sokka and Toph get ready for the Bei Fong Ball. Mai is torn between loyalty to Azula and newfound respect for Iroh... not to mention growing hate for Zuko. And speaking of our favorite prince, what will he do when he finally confronts a certain young Avatar?


	15. What Brought Him Back

**

* * *

**

**Part Two: **Spring

**Chapter Five:** What Brought Him Back

* * *

_One day, I'll leave this bed and walk again._

_I'll run to the beaches, feel the water on my toes._

_Feel the earth beneath my feet_

_And feel the sun hot on my back._

_One day, I'll leave this bed and fly into the clouds._

_I'll take her with me, and we'll soar together._

_She'll forget everything that binds us to this mortality_

_And we'll be everlasting, beautiful, free from Earth._

_Free from rivalry._

_Free from pain._

_Free from the shadow of Death._

* * *

That afternoon, the boy's eyes flickered open to find Katara's fingers splayed across his chest, feeling the tiniest flicker of life pulse underneath.

She looked at him, genuine pain flooding her eyes, and for the first time since she had been aware of his consciousness, tears coursed their way down her cheeks.

* * *

_"Toph, I have something for you. I don't know if you'll like it, but I hope you do. It's your escape present, and I know you can't see it. But it's earth. It's crystal, and you can bend it._

_It's just something I thought you'd deserve._

_I know you didn't want any finery, but this crystal is kind of like you, in a way. You're rough on the outside, and people think you're too brash. Too bold. Too like Toph and too unlike a lady._

_They're blind, Toph. Not like you, though- they're blind to what really matters._

_When you touch the crystal, you can tell that it's rough. It's cracked and worn, but tough. But let me tell you something. You can't see it, but this crystal is beautiful. It's tough and worn, but it's beautiful. It catches the light and shines._

_The blind people, the people without eyes, can't see the beauty. They try to mold the toughness into something else. Something fake and artificial._

_I'm not blind, Toph. I can see how real the beauty is in this crystal. And the more I think about it, the more it reminds me of you._

_So have a happy escape, then."_

_--_

He lay awake at night, the words running like streams through his tired head. The straw poked his back and he turned away, trying to run the detached thoughts together again. The monologue streamed through his brain and escaped his mouth in whispers. Nobody heard the words, save for the bison that slept in the barn and the moon-crickets that chirped in the twilight. They applauded his speech with silence.

Toph didn't care much for sentiments, but it felt good to know that he saw something that nobody else saw in her. He felt like he had a part to play in her life.

_Will you be my hero?_

He was her hero.

_And the more I think about it, the more it reminds me of you._

He imagined saying that to her. He imagined a punch flying in his direction, leaving a bruise on his shoulder. A bruise that would hurt, but he would accept the pain nonetheless and eventually forget it as they escaped into the skies, "engaged" and free.

The more he thought about his speech, the more absurd he thought it was.

_I sound like a heartsick idiot. A sappy, heartsick, lovelorn idiot. One that lost all the girls he's ever had a chance with and can't even make an impression on a friend._

His internal monologue left his brain as quickly as it had entered it. He sat then, half-awake, thinking into the night.

_Toph is everything I've always wanted to be._

He thought of the way Toph handled things. She had such a way with sarcasm. She was an Earthbending Master- no, the greatest Earthbender in the _world_- and had both precise accuracy and toughness. She didn't let anything stand in her way, even her blindness.

She was the Blind Bandit, and he was Snoozles. The idiot. The lovelorn idiot who shook hands with air and slept in the stables and threw boomerangs with as much precision as a lemur with a watermelon.

Except he wasn't in love with anybody, which didn't really explain the fluttering in his chest that night.

* * *

He followed the sound of her feet on crackling snow.

"You've been visiting Aang a lot now. I've heard that his health's improving."

She stopped, and he paused abruptly, waiting for a reply.

"People believe what they want to believe, Zuko." She turned to face him, her eyes staring straight into his. She said nothing more, expecting a retaliation, when he sighed and turned back, following the footsteps the Waterbender had made while walking out of the infirmary. The footprints were sinking into the half-melted snow, and he trudged on, his steps leaving small imprints of mud behind.

"You can't visit him!" Called a voice behind him, and he continued.

"Why not?" The words were faint, but Katara heard them all the same. She ran and caught up to him, despite the snow and slippery surface.

"Aang needs his rest. Believe it or not, people don't get better from serious injuries overnight."

"I'm aware of that."

"Then you'll understand that Aang doesn't need any more distractions."

"You visit him all the time, and I've never tried to dissuade you."

There was nothing she could say to that, so she tried a different approach.

"Oh, yes. Because he enjoyed your prescence so much the last time you tried to visit."

"I did nothing wrong." Katara could sense the heat underneath Zuko's words, but didn't acknowledge it.

"Aang's fine."

"There's no harm in making sure."

He eyed her for a moment before walking on, the Waterbender flanking him with every step.

"What do you want with him? Aang's my friend, and I have every right to stop you."

"I just want to know the truth." He stopped in his place, nearly causing Katara to stumble. "I want to know if Aang's going to be alright and why he didn't want me there. I want to know if he's going to die." He looked at her square in the eyes, and she felt an inner part of her crumble away. "I want to know why you're keeping him away from me."

Silence for a second, and she replied a bit calmer, choosing her words carefully.

"I just think that Aang needs his rest. You said it yourself- he has a chance. I don't want anything to get in the way of it."

He stopped for a moment and considered her words before continuing to walk forwards, elicting an exasperated groan from Katara.

"Didn't you tell me not to give up hope? Now that I've finally acknowledged that Aang has a chance, you try to go ahead and ruin it?"

"You said you trusted me. I'm not going to hurt him."

"Just..." He turned to look at her, and she sighed, throwing her hands up in defeat. "Go, then. But I'm coming with you."

* * *

"So, Sokka. Did you do anything while I was gone?"

"Yeah. Got your escape present."

"Really?" She made no effort to hide her surprise, and Sokka noted this with a hint of pride in his voice.

"Yeah, but I'm gonna give it to you later. Maybe at the ball."

"Fine with me." The Earthbender silently twirled her meteorite bracelet. "It's next week, you know."

"Yeah, and you'll be thirteen. A teenager."

"Not like it matters. I'll be a _free_ teenager, and that's what counts."

They were sitting on the garden bridge again, the fragrances of the blooming flowers surrounding them. Toph turned to Sokka, who acknowledged her with a raise of his eyebrow.

"You know, Snoozles, you need fancy clothes to pass as royalty. Otherwise, you'll be a laughingstock." She tapped her chin in contemplation. "Maybe you can pull that Wang Fire beard out. Half the guests there are gonna be fifty or older, so you'll fit right in with that disguise."

"Yeah, but the Earth King doesn't look much older than forty. How can his nephew be older than he is?"

"You got a point there." She dangled her feet over, the sun-tinged water soaking her toes. "But that'll pretty much disguise you. After all, my parents aren't stupid. They can remember faces. And remember, one slip-up from you will mess everything up."

A sound of protest issued from Sokka's mouth, then he shut it. It was true, after all- he couldn't pass for royalty.

"So what're we gonna do now?"

"Hmm." A grin spread across Toph's face, and Sokka could tell she was thinking of something devious. "It's time to go shopping."

--

"That robe was for the general! How could you have misplaced it?!"

"I-I don't know... I locked the store as usual, but last night, it was bashed in!"

"Stop your idiotic stammering and help me examine the evidence."

Silence, and the two storekeepers studied the damaged door keenly. Sokka had to bite back laughter.

"There's this unusually large rock by the door of the store, sir."

"Huh. That's odd."

Sokka rounded the corner, as usual, and walked casually past with a strange grin on his face. Those who noticed him paid him no attention, but turned to the disputing men near the store and watched the scene with interest.

They paid no mind to the young man who was walking down the street, trying to force down laughter at the thought of the Blind Bandit stealing the general's robes in the middle of the night.

* * *

Ty Lee had always been unusually good at reading auras.

She had practiced her skill when she was younger, back when she was still attending the Royal Fire Academy for Girls. It was interesting to see the blur of colors shaping before her eyes, to catch the emotions and thoughts and feelings of the people she hated or held dear. She had practiced on Mai and Azula, too, noting how Azula's aura was ever-shifting as the years passed and her childhood innocences faded away. Only Mai's aura remained constant.

_A dingy, pasty gray,_ she remembered, reflecting upon her closest friend. She knew that Mai wasn't the obedient, bored girl others made her out to be. She wasn't an emotionless blah; she simply hid her feelings from the world. But Ty Lee didn't understand why the gray remained, why the same, uniform color surrounded her spirit. It was probably a feeling forced upon her, hiding her true soul and her true colors from everybody.

Zuko was the only one that had allowed some sort of hue to escape the gray mask of Mai's aura, a lovely shade of blue, the closest to bliss that Ty Lee had ever sensed from the older girl. When he had left for to fight on the Avatar's side, the gray returned and masked whatever pain emanated from Mai's soul. His return hadn't completely penetrated the wall she had set up around herself, and although Ty Lee doubted this herself, a part of her guessed that it was what drove Zuko away from her when he went away the second time.

It hurt to know that Mai was so vulnerable without her mask of an aura. And yet, the girl knew that Mai's heart was shielded because of it.

--

"So, Mai. Anything up?"

The older girl shook her head, leaning against the trunk of the oak tree. "Azula's in prison. This place is a bore."

Ty Lee hummed gently, trying to think of something to say to that.

"Speaking of Azula, you don't really think that she's gonna try to... you know?"

"You mean her elaborate plan?" The girl rolled her eyes, mainly to reassure herself. "She can do anything she wants if she sets her mind to it."

"So you think she's actually gonna... _kill_ Fire Lord Iroh?" The last part was whispered, and Mai didn't respond immediately.

A part of her wanted to agree. Azula was the most dangerous girl in the Fire Nation.

On the other hand, Iroh was the most dangerous man, and perhaps the wisest. Would it be betraying Azula if Mai had some doubts about her for once?

Better to play it safe. She answered matter-of-factly.

"He doesn't really stand a chance against her, Ty Lee."

* * *

There were footsteps again. But not really _her_ footsteps.

There was silence, too, so he couldn't tell who was coming.

By the time he shut his eyes to feign sleep, the two visitors had arrived and had seen him.

"We should go. He's sleeping."

"I just saw him. He was awake a second ago!"

An exasperated sigh, and she walked over quietly, laying a firm hand on his shoulder. An eye flickered open, despite himself, and Katara bit her lip slightly.

"You're not tired, Aang?"

He couldn't lie to her, so he shook his head no. Grey eyes flickered open and rested on his best friend, who stood over him with a forced smile on her face. Aang then knew he had made a mistake- the pained look in her eyes told him so. He wasn't supposed to be awake, for some reason, but it was too late to crawl back into bed.

He played along, albeit a bit cluelessly.

"You just left, Katara. Did you forget something?"

"No, Aang." She explained this slowly, as if to stall for time, and the boy sensed tension in the air. Either Katara thought that his injuries had left him completely incompetent, or there was something she wasn't telling him. He tried to figure out what it was, but she sighed and removed her hand from his shoulder, turning to face what Aang presumed to be the second visitor.

"Let's go, Zuko. Aang needs his rest."

"He just said he was fine."

A look of warning flashed across Katara's face until a quiet protest issued from the young Airbender.

"It's okay, Katara. Zuko can visit if he wants."

A quiet moment ensued, during which Zuko tried to stop himself from shooting a triumphant remark at Katara. A confirming nod from Aang pretty much settled it, and reluctantly, the Waterbender left his side and stood at a distance. Waiting.

"Well, I-" The prince paused for a second, studying the Airbender carefully. He looked calm, quiet. _Maybe even curious._

"I didn't know if you really heard me the last time I came. You were resting, and I didn't think I explained myself very well." Katara looked over at him then, a dubious look in her eyes, but he continued unfazed. "I came to ask for your forgiveness. My nation's done terrible things to you and your people. We've hurt you and put so much weight on your shoulders. I wanted to apologize."

The young Airbender remained quiet, and a twinge of nervousness arose in Zuko's chest. There wasn't much else to include, but it felt like there was so much more that he had to say. He wondered if this was sufficient, if simple words could mend wounds that healers couldn't. There was so much to tell, so much to apologize for.

"It's okay, Zuko." It was barely more than a whisper, but the words cut like knives through the silence. The seventeen-year-old smiled faintly, and was just about to leave when the Avatar continued from his bed.

"It's too bad that I can't see how you rule the Fire Nation. I know I can't stay around long enough for that."

Katara was about to walk over and drive the thought from his mind. Zuko knew this, and put a hand up to stop her. "What do you mean, Aang?"

"I mean that I know I'm gonna die." The words sent a chill down his spine, and the prince stepped forwards until he was inches away from the boy's bed. Two calm grey eyes stared into his. A quiet acceptance was in his voice.

"That's not going to happen, and you know it." Katara spoke loudly, almost too loudly, from her corner of the room. "You're getting better every day- even the healers can see it. Stop saying those things."

Zuko didn't look in her direction, just kept looking at the boy lying on the bed. He could see all his injuries so clearly now, and it pained him to know that this was what his nation had did to him. The Avatar. A boy of _thirteen_.

"You know it, don't you?" Aang asked Zuko, who stood nearly petrified at the edge of the bed. "You knew that night, with Katara. You knew-"

"That's not true." His voice cut into his, and although it had no edge or anger to it, the implication of it was almost enough to make Katara intercede. "I don't decide your fate, Aang. I don't know if you're going to live or die. I want you to get well."

He didn't answer to that, just directed a glance towards Katara, who stood stricken in her place. She knew that she was to blame for this. Her tears had been the last thing he had needed to see.

Seeing her cry earlier had made him understand that he had no chance in her eyes. It must've hurt him so much...

Her heart broke a little as he looked into her eyes.

"Aang, please. How did you... that night-"

"I was awake." He averted his gaze then, pushing himself up so he could sit against the wall on his bed. "You didn't see me, but I saw you. You were hugging him... and I was _confused_..."

Katara took a shaky breath, and Zuko didn't know what to do at that moment. The feeling in his heart was a mixture of so many things- jealousy, confusion, and the overwhelming thought that he was just getting in the way of things. It fogged up his perception of things, and he stood aside without a word when the Waterbender approached the bed, her expression saying words that she couldn't.

"I'm sorry, Aang. I was just... I was frightened. I didn't know what I would do without you, and I just needed something- someone- to hold on to that night. I didn't know that you were awake."

"I know, Katara, but..." He glanced at Zuko, who was standing like an item out of place in the room, and the prince saw it as a signal for him to leave them alone. He did so with some relief, and as his footsteps disappeared as loudly as they had came, Aang looked at the girl who sat quietly on the edge of his bed.

"I just want you to know something before it's too late."

The wind whistled outside, and she shivered slightly. It wasn't because of the weather, but because she knew. She knew what words were on his lips, and she dreaded them, in a way. She was afraid that he would try to love her, and that she couldn't love him back because of her fear of getting too attached to him.

After all, she couldn't love a dead young man. She couldn't allow herself to feel ecstasy and have it ripped away from her.

She gripped his hand tightly, firmly in hers, a hint of shakiness in her voice. "You can tell me anything, Aang."

He smiled faintly, the light all but gone from his eyes. "I know it won't matter anyways, but... I need to ask you."

The Waterbender bit her lip in anticipation. Possible answers flashed through her mind at lightning speed, but she couldn't bring herself to choose one. None of them would please one person without upsetting the other.

"You can ask me, then. Anything."

He didn't ask right away. Her fingernails slightly dug into his skin, and she gripped on tight. He didn't try to wriggle out of her grasp, but just lay there in submission. Motionless under her fingertips.

"That night, when I saw you hugging Zuko... I didn't understand it. To tell you the truth, I didn't want to understand it." He shut his eyes, trying to make it a little less painful, and when he opened them, the first thing he sought were her eyes. "Do you like him, Katara?"

"What?" Her grip around his fingers loosened, and she gazed at him in quiet shock. "Zuko has Mai, Aang."

"Who do I have, then?" He whispered, and before she could respond, he continued, the pain evident under his voice. "Who can I hold onto? Who believes in me anymore?"

"Aang, I-"

"You didn't know how much I wanted to wake up and see you again. You brought me _back, _but you don't even believe that I'll get better."

"That's not true!" She found herself raising her voice, even though she had never wanted to yell at Aang. "I wanted you to get better. I brought you to the North Pole and watched over you. I kept on hoping that you would live, even when Sokka and Toph gave up!"

"Then why do you need to lean on Zuko? Isn't having me here good enough for you?"

There was genuine ice in his tone then, and Katara realized it. What plagued Aang the most was jealousy, and despite herself, the girl decided to retaliate.

"Zuko believed in you too, Aang. He brought us both here, and being selfish is no way to thank him."

He didn't respond immediately, just leaned there, silent, sitting against the wall. A pang of regret ran through Katara's heart, and she immediately reached out for him, trying to hold onto him. He turned away from her, and the remorse that she felt was overwhelming.

"Aang, I-I didn't mean to-"

"I know you're right, Katara. There's no use in sitting here and feeling sorry for myself."

"No, Aang. I care for you, and I'm the one being selfish. I'm pretending to be strong, but you're right. I can't stand on my own."

"It's not that. You've done so much already, 'Tara. I don't want you to get hurt over this anymore."

His eyes shut in exhaustion, and, with so much left unsaid, she leaned over and quietly kissed him on his arrow. There was no evident response to that, but his insides fluttered a bit as she drew back, the same pained expression on her face.

"And Katara?" She was about to turn away but thought better of it. The Airbender quietly lowered himself back onto his pillow and lay there, eyes half-open.

"The reason it hurt so much to see you with Zuko wasn't what I told you earlier."

She smiled sadly, a hint of knowing in her eyes.

"The only thing that kept me alive was knowing that you would be there when I woke up." He paused for a second, thinking. "I wanted to see you one last time so I could tell you one last thing."

"Will you tell me now, Aang?"

The corners of his mouth curved upwards in a half-smile, and he sighed.

"I wasn't lying when I told you that you brought me back again. It was 'cause I remembered how it felt to love you, even when I was practically dead." He paused, his eyes staring at the ceiling. "I didn't want to tell you this because I thought that you and Zuko were together."

Katara didn't reply. Aang glanced at her, a hint of sadness in his eyes. What had he expected? A confession? A kiss? A marriage proposal? He sighed and turned away. "But like I said, it doesn't really matter, right?"

"Aang, I-" She didn't know what to say; she hadn't expected him to tell her this after what she had said to him earlier. "I do care for you, Aang. So much. But to tell you the truth..."

He searched her face for a glimmer of nervousness, for a sign of love. They weren't children anymore. Their expressions didn't betray innocent crushes or lovelorn hearts anymore, and as she took his hand again, he felt a faint maturity settling down upon them. He knew that this was no time for blushing or scrawling each other's names on paper repeatedly.

He had just finished conteplating what it would be like to kiss her as an adult when she sighed and squeezed his hand.

"I don't know, Aang... I care so much. I care so much that I just can't... I can't love you."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Before the flames start coming, I'd like to remind everyone that I've been a Kataangist for four years. So no, I'm not a Zutarian in disguise, and I don't intend on having this story end up being a Zutara (yet? Heh, just kidding).

But what of Aang? Will he have his heart broken or learn to accept it? And what of Katara? Will she survive the flaming long enough to realize that loving someone more than makes up for losing them?

**Hey, so the Bei Fong Ball is next chapter. If you want to make an OC Suitor for Toph so I can write him in the next two or more chapters, please do so and send a description of him in a review. (Just so you know, Toph SO has a crush on Sokka, so most of the suitors will probably end up getting refused by Toph anyways. ;D Sorry for that.)**

**In the Next Chapter:** It's time for Sokka to crash the party as the Bei Fong Ball starts. Will he and Toph succeed in his plan? Meanwhile, Zuko decides to set sail again and leaves the North Pole, leaving a very heartbroken Avatar and a regretful young lady behind. Katara has some sorting out to do- after all, she loves Aang, but she just can't risk having her heart broken. Will Aang accept this?


	16. The Bei Fong Ball, Part One

**Part Two: **Spring

**Chapter Six: **The Bei Fong Ball, Part One

* * *

Mai,

I'm sorry that I haven't written to you lately, and I didn't think you'd want to hear from me again. I just wanted to let you know that I'm leaving the North Pole. I have the Avatar's forgiveness, and I plan on traveling to Ba Sing Se to seek an audience with the Earth King.

Please forgive me for neglecting our correspondence these past few weeks. I've been busy.

Zuko

--

The first few letters to Mai had taken hours to write. They were long and elaborate, because he had missed her. Those were the nights where the Waterbender had ignored and shunned him, where the Avatar lay dying on a mat and the waves rolled underneath his shadow of a boat. Those were the nights where he longed for someone to understand, and Mai had, in her sarcastic and dry manner, miles and miles away.

Now, his letters were more or less forced, more out of courtesy than out of affection. The parchment lay on the table, illuminated by the faintest flicker of candlelight.

He turned as his door creaked open and Katara stepped inside without a greeting.

"Aang's alright?" His words were more of a statement than a question, and he turned back to face the table, not really wanting to hear the answer.

"He's doing fine." The words were a little too fake to be taken seriously. "I expected you to be asleep, really. I shouldn't have come in like this."

"It's alright." He turned back to the letter, which lay blank and bare on the table. It looked incomplete, almost, and he found himself picking his calligraphy brush up as Katara watched silently. She walked over, in that straightforward way of hers, and sat on his bed. If Zuko cared, he didn't make it evident. She raised an eyebrow as he dipped the tip of the brush in his inkwell, held it millimeters from the paper, and then set it down with a small tap on the table.

"I didn't know you wrote letters."

_It's not your business_. The prince bit back the words before they escaped his mouth, but the look he gave her was warning enough. "They asked me to keep them updated."

The Waterbender nodded, not really stopping to inquire exactly who "they" were. She knew well enough who he was writing to, and knew it was better not to interfere. Instead, she waiting, and the silence overwhelmed them both until the prince spoke up.

"I'm leaving tomorrow."

If the girl showed any surprise at this, she didn't show it and gave a small nod. The candlelight flickered in the dark.

"You've got a lot of places you need to be. Where will you go?"

"Ba Sing Se. I need to gain the Earth King's forgiveness as well." A short pause, and he looked up from the table. "I've already spoken to Chief Arnook about the negotiations my uncle's planning on making with the Northern Water Tribe. I figured that I might as well write to him and let him know."

It was an extremely unconvincing lie, but Katara pretended to believe it nonetheless. "Good to know."

"Yeah." He closed his eyes for a minute, letting the weariness of the day overtake him for a moment. "Are you sure that Aang will be fine?"

"You've already gotten us this far, Zuko, and that's enough." She sighed. "Thanks for everything, and thank your uncle for us, too."

"It was what I had to do." His eyes flickered open and settled on the Waterbender.

It was a partly true answer, and somewhat acceptable. It wasn't complete.

She turned away, and the waves rolled under her feet. Zuko had been sleeping in his ship's cabin the entire time he had been here, and in a matter of hours, he would be leaving. Why did it feel like she was all alone now, even with Aang and her entire culture surrounding her in this city of ice?

Zuko had been a sort of comfort. A sort of shield against the problems she had to face. She had always known he would be there, and she had always known she could rely on him. He was a familiar prescence now, just like Sokka and Toph had been to her when Aang had been shot down by Azula. She hated being called dependent, but secretly, she knew she was. It didn't hurt as much to realize this as much it hurt to see a companion leave her again.

Now it was herself and Aang. Aang, a dying boy. Soon, she would be alone and cold in this frozen land.

--

When she went to tell her best friend that Zuko was leaving, he listened with closed eyes and a straight line of a mouth.

The young Avatar that pretended to sleep felt nothing when the girl left. Nothing except a tinge of relief that Zuko was going and a bitter recollection of how Katara's voice had softened when she spoke the prince's name. How there was a vague sort of sadness that lay underneath her words when she had said,

"It's just you and me now."

There was no happiness to her tone that night. There was no joy at seeing the enemy leave, and no evident relief. Just something weary in her eyes and something desperate in her smile and something that said she would rather run away with Zuko than stay and tend to this mangled, bloodied boy.

_Go on then,_ a part of him thought. _Go. Run and swim and walk and do all those things that I can't. Go with Zuko and stop caring about me._

Although, he noted with a faint twinge of guilt in his heart, the majority of him almost delighted in Katara's sadness. Because it was one less chance of having her fall into the prince's arms and sail away with him. It was one less chance of hearing news of the Fire Lord's new wife as he lay in his sickbed, his breaths becoming more and more faint as a new royal couple danced miles away.

It was one less chance of having Zuko and Katara love each other, and one more chance of having her love him, but he couldn't forget how that sadness leaked through her words and made him feel like a person caught in a downpour of guilt.

_It's just you and me now, Katara. _

--

There was no farewell hug or sentimentals. Just a spoken "Goodbye" and another "Thank you" for good measure.

The ship creaked underneath his feet, and he could feel the separation already. There was an ache in his heart that was starting to build, and he knew.

It was the same feeling he had felt when he was banished from the Fire Nation. It was the same feeling he had felt when he had left Mai to help Aang learn Firebending, and the pain of old memories stung him almost as harshly as the biting cold air. One emotion overshadowed them all, though, and it was impossible to put a name to it.

_It was a swirl of things, a blur of emotions, but when you subtracted the confusion and the guilt and the remorse, the core thing there was a longing feeling called love._

He didn't want to acknowledge it again, really. After seeing the edge to Mai's words in her last letter, the heartbreak in the young Avatar's eyes, and the quiet desperation the Waterbender seemed to carry with her, he wasn't even sure if there were such a thing as love anymore. Maybe a fleeting affection, like the one he had felt with the girl he had left behind, that faded into nothingness. Maybe that was all love ever was.

He didn't care at the moment, just watched as the city turned to a speck of white and the icebergs drifted about his shadow of a ship. He watched as the girl standing at the edge of the water faded into white and disappeared with the city of ice.

* * *

"The ball's starting soon, you idiot! You're supposed to be in disguise already!"

This was spoken as harshly as it could possibly be in a darkened closet, and Sokka bit his lip. He was supposed to be in costume, sure, but he had decided to check on Toph first. She had thought of the same thing and had dragged him into an empty hallway to review the plan one last time.

Hey, what could really be said? Great minds thought alike.

She shook her head and sighed. "Alright, so the first few guests are arriving in about an hour. I'm supposed to be in my torture device of a dress, so they're probably looking all over for me right about now. And you're supposed to make your fancy entrance at, say..." She thought for a second. "Alright, you make your fancy entrance at noon. And then-"

"Toph, as good as that sounds, we need something big. Something to show that I mean business."

"Well, you already have those robes. What else do you what? An elephant-boar to ride on?"

"No. All those suitors are gonna be major kiss-ups. The Earth King's nephew should at least attempt to overshadow them."

"Huh. Are you sure you're not gonna do this just so you can impress me?" A hint of sarcasm trickled from the last statement, and a wry smile found its way across Toph's face. "Surprise me, but _don't mess everything up_."

"Yeah, and at least _try_ not to push someone into the pond."

"Sure, sure. You're not the fancy lady who's getting engaged." She waved him off, although there was no breathing space in the closet for him to retreat to. "Just get into the robes. You got a few hours, so don't worry."

"You're going to be alright?"

"Yeah, although you're responsible if the dress chokes me to death. Jeez, you couldn't have picked something that wouldn't try to kill me?" The Earthbender scoffed, and the sixteen-year-old shrugged despite himself.

"I'd better get going. Mom and Dad're gonna murder me."

"Sure, go ahead." He placed a hand on the knob, remembered something, then glanced back at the girl. "Oh yeah, and Toph?"

"What is it, Snoozles? Ya nervous?" She bit her lip in anxiety, her fingers tapping against the wall. She could hear the servants calling her name down the hallways, and she knew it wasn't ladylike to be "fashionably late". Whatever, she thought._ Whatever._

"I just wanted to tell you... happy birthday."

She rolled her eyes in the dark of the closet.

"Not happy birthday, Sokka. Happy getting me outta here."

"Yeah. That."

He creaked the door open, and grinned as the very unladylike footsteps of Toph Bei Fong made their way down the hall.

* * *

_I try to treat things like nightmares. The bad things, I mean._

_Defeating the Fire Lord was real enough. It was a nightmare I couldn't escape. Every day, I could see the pain of the war in the eyes of suffering people. _

_It's not the wounds I was scared of, though... it was letting people down. It was the dread of giving hope to people and then, just as quickly, snatching it away._

_For some reason, I know now that the wounds feel far, far worse than the guilt of failure. Especially when the wounds have been inflicted by words and thoughts and things left unsaid. Especially when they've been inflicted by the one you feared letting down the most._

_Toph and Sokka are gone, in Gaoling. Gaoling seems so far away. It's not the miles and the seas and the mountains, but the people. It's hard to remember who they were._

_Zuko left, and we're alone now. Katara and me. And although I just want to look at her and tell her to see me, see how much I care for her, I know it's useless to care now. She can't love me, and if I really loved her, I would leave her alone._

_I don't know why she can't love me. But I can sense that it's more about me than it is about her. What's wrong with me? What's wrong with loving me?_

_Everyone's gone__._

* * *

_The General's Robe Comes With:_

_- One hat (one that Sokka had placed in a "dashing manner" upon his head)_

_- One cape (that was unnecessarily long, and trailed to the floor where it caught several pieces of hay and manure)_

_- The robe itself (which was so itchy that the boy wearing it nearly toppled into the manger trying to adjust it)_

_- One extravagantly engraved chestplate that looks extremely out of place._

_--_

"Ugh... stupid robes. Stupid general. Stupid ball."

The robes were itchy, tight, and extremely ill-fitting. The sun had decided to be unbearably bright and scorching hot (on the other hand, it could just be the robes) that particular spring morning.

The musty air of the stables couldn't be escaped, so he sighed, put his hair down, and tried to figure out a plan of action that would further compliment his "royalty".

"Earth King's nephew, at your service." A flourishing bow, directed at the rotting stable wall. He tried to picture Toph in front of him, trying hard not to laugh. No, she'd probably be trying not to smack him upside the head for no good reason.

Ladies didn't smack prominent Earth Kingdom figures upside the head, so Sokka was somewhat relieved of that. But he also couldn't throw sarcastic remarks Toph's way about the other suitors, unless he wanted to be escorted off the premises or found out. This was a little daunting, as Sokka was convinced he couldn't pass for royalty the entire three days the ball was going to take place. But at least he was going to have his own room in the estate itself.

"Earth King's nephew, at your service" was starting to lose its effect on the stable wall, so he tried a different approach, thought against it, then decided to say nothing at all unless spoken to at the ball itself.

The escape present was hidden in the corner behind stacks of crates. That was going to be the highlight of the ball for Toph, but Sokka didn't feel like he needed to practice any oratical flamboyancy or fancy gestures. Giving the crystals to her was enough, right? Getting her out was enough.

Heroes didn't hesitate and waste time thinking about the details and the fun. Heroes had to think about what _needed_ to be done, right then.

Better to play it safe and tone his act down. Better to stay on the premises instead of getting kicked out.

--

They dabbed powder on her face and put her hair up. They forced her into a robe and pricked her with needles.

It was at these times that Toph appreciated being blind. She knew that if she could possibly look in a mirror and see exactly what they had made her look like, she would immediately proceed to tear everything off.

* * *

"Azula wanted us to go visit her today. She said that she wanted to hear what progress we've made."

The pink-clad girl tugged on the other's sleeve repeatedly in an effort to get Mai to listen to her. The sixteen-year-old wrestled her sleeve away with the least amount of annoyance one could show at this time and sighed.

"We haven't made any progress, Ty Lee. Iroh's treating us the same way he's treated everyone."

"But you were with him like..._ two hours_ that last time. Didn't he tell you anything?"

"He just offered me tea and talked about peace and the like. He's no different from any old man in the Fire Nation."

"So you guys didn't talk about interesting stuff? Did he tell you anything about Zuko?"

A glare was sent Ty Lee's direction, but the contortionist took no notice (or pretended not to) and grinned.

"So he _did_!"

"No, he didn't. Zuko's not important."

"Why?" A perfect display of innocence was on Ty Lee's face right now, and as much as Mai would've liked to walk out the door without a word to the girl, she knew that making conversation with her only friend was key to a long-lasting relationship. Or whatever. She just wanted to stall for time.

Visiting Azula at this time wasn't exactly what she had wanted to do, after all.

"Zuko's on his way to Ba Sing Se, miles and miles away. He isn't exactly crucial to this plan."

"But he's your _boyfriend."_

"That's irrevelant, Ty Lee. Our loyalties lie with Azula."

"That doesn't mean you have to stop liking him. After all, Azula's convinced that we're both completely loyal to her."

"You know Azula. She always thinks ahead, and she's probably already constructed a plan to have us killed if we ever betrayed her."

"Then liking Zuko will be even more interesting!" Ty Lee sat down on Mai's bed, her feet dangling from the side. "You guys are like... forbidden lovers, or something!"

"Get that idea out of your head, Ty Lee. Things aren't as romantic as you make them out to be." The sixteen-year-old slipped a knife into her hand, studying it. She had been exercising her favorite hobby more out of boredom than out of usefulness. The blades were still sharp, polished and deadly.

_Sure to kill if sent flying in the right direction._

The pink-clad girl seemed to disregard Mai's comments, and decided to proceed with the discussion. "You know, that Fire Nation rebel hideout Azula sent me to was actually pretty fun. Tons of cute guys there. I hope she sends us both today!"

"As much as the idea of young men sitting around and rebelling excites me, Ty Lee, I'm less than enthused about Azula's plans for us."

"Mai..." She sighed, lowering herself down onto the bed. "We really can't worry too much about these things. It'll all clear up in the end."

"If you say so." The knife twirled haphazardly between her fingers, pivoting in the air.

--

_Question: "Mai, you've been quiet. Did you get to our dear Fire Lord yet?"_

_Answer: "Yes, Azula."_

_Question: "And how was he?"_

_Answer: "Fine."_

_Question: "And he trusts you, without a doubt?"_

_Answer: "Yes, Azula."_

Good, Mai. Good little liar.

She stood to the side while Azula began interrogating Ty Lee. It was the same format. A seemingly general, yet mysterious question. A hesitant, short answer. Azula didn't need details, didn't rely on elaboration. She only wanted the hard facts and drew her plans from them. If she needed any details, she saw them in her visitors' eyes and their tone of voice. She was a people person.

They talked about the rebel hideouts. Ty Lee talked of plans and codenames and schemes. She talked of secret passageways and elite spies.

She didn't mention the cute boys.

A small smirk played at the corners of Azula's crimson lips. Her eyebrows raised, she listened until the pink-clad girl couldn't explain much more.

"Perfect. Mai, Ty Lee?" They raised their heads in acknowledgement, and the Princess smiled in that sickening way of hers. "It's time to join the rebellion."

* * *

Noon. Time to crash the party.

He had chopped a few inches off the "Wang Fire" beard, thinking that it would be able to disprove any doubts about his age, and pasted it on pretty haphazardly. It hung like a mop in the humid, hot air, and he found himself sweltering in the heat of the spring afternoon. The reflection proved it: he was no longer Sokka the Boomeraang Guy.

In fact, he was Kuei the Forty-Eighth. Earth King's nephew. Royalty. Peasant in disguise.

He had thought about how to get out many times before, and it was simple, really. He only had to climb out of the loft, use a ladder to get himself down to the bottom of the stable building, and walk to the front of the estate gates. Nobody would guess that he had arrived from the stables- they were at the edge of the estate, and he just needed to get on the path that led to the estate to pretend that he had walked from there. All he would have to do to prove that he was the Earth King's nephew was show the invitation to the ball to the guards at the entrance.

And he had been lucky enough to be the one writing the invitations that the Bei Fongs had sent out. Hey, he had to make himself useful, right?

He climbed to the loft of the stable, climbed out the back window, and stood there, the shade of the trees making his corner of the world a bit more bearable. The piece of parchment hung limp and crumpled in his hands, worn from being folded over and hidden clumsily in pockets.

_The Bei Fong estate is pleased to invite you to their celebratory ball..._

Everything looked in order.

He was carrying a bag full of the possessions he needed, and had left a few bales of hay on the ground of the stable for Appa. The escape present glistened in the sun as he hurriedly stuffed it in with the rest of his things.

_Noon... time to crash the party... pull yourself together, Sokka!_

He sauntered onto the path that led to the Bei Fong gates and walked in what he hoped to be a stately manner. It was hard to keep from tripping on his unusually long cape, but it didn't matter. As long as he looked like royalty, nobody was going to notice. He walked, and eventually reached the guards that watched the gate.

"Kuei the Forty-Eighth, Earth King's nephew." He held the invitation up, and the guards scrunitized him with wary eyes.

"I see. And your royal procession?"

"I-er... royal procession?"

"Yes, your majesty. Your servants and guards. Should we be expecting them?"

"Uh, no, no... uh..." Why didn't he think of this? He searched through his head for a plausible explanation when a small voice piped in from behind the men.

"Let him in, guards. My parents recieved the message. His procession got stuck, so he had to walk." Sokka couldn't see Toph from behind the guards, but he felt as if she had been standing there all along. "It seems they've been ambushed by bandits."

"I see, Lady Bei Fong. But this man-"

"I know Kuei from my travels. Let him in, please."

The guards opened the gates almost reluctantly, and Sokka could've hugged the girl standing in front of him if not for the fact that the dozen men standing by would've killed him if he lay a hand on her. He walked in, then, and nearly gaped in disbelief.

The trees were strung with silk lanterns, and the cherry blossoms were in bloom, the pink petals floating in the spring air. A quartet was setting up by the pond, tuning their instruments as the creek flowed under a decorated bridge. Tables of food and refreshments were set up around every tree, and the air whistled with life and vibrance and color. Windchimes tinkled as a warm breeze blew past like rain. The bushes were draped with white streamers and ribbons, making Toph's maze of a garden even more elegant in the spring noon.

This was beautiful... beautiful in the most sickening of ways.

"This is the garden, your highness, where the guests of the ball may rest and converse. It seems as if you had an interesting journey, so you might need to relax a bit." Sokka tried not to wince at the artificial sweetness oozing off of Toph's words, and at the same time, tried not to laugh at the way her eyebrows raised as she lied. The aroma of pastries and tarts wafted through the humidity, and he found himself walking towards the nearest snack table. The blind girl followed him, taking small, ladylike steps. Most guests would mistake this for elegance, when really, Toph found it excruciatingly hard to walk in such a stuffy dress.

"Are you alright, Lady Bei Fong?"

"Yes, your highness." Sokka could see that Toph found it hard to keep from breaking into laughter. "Maybe we should get some shade behind the tree. I find the weather to be unbearable today."

After gingerly picking a tart from one of the platters, he joined the girl in sitting behind the tree. A few chairs had been placed in the secluded area, and he was sure that they were in relative privacy. Not many people had arrived, and he couldn't spot any suitors yet. He was yanked back into the shade by a hand tugging on his oversized sleeve.

"Stop that! We don't need anyone drawing attention to us!" It was spoken in a hushed tone, but with none of the sugary-sweetness Toph had to force into her tone of voice earlier. She found talking in that artificial manner to be vastly entertaining- it was like mocking all the other fancy ladies that were attending the ball.

"Alright, not many people are here. So what's the plan?" Sokka rubbed at his "beard" and was grateful for the shade of the cherry tree.

"Here's the deal. You make sure you don't speak unless spoken to. We don't need any prominent people ratting you out. And as for me, I'll be busy trying to make the other suitors miserable."

"At least_ try_ for subtlety."

"Of course. I'll make their stay miserable in the fanciest of ways, don't worry." She gave a little huff and sighed. "You know, I'm glad it's just us for now. The ball isn't even gonna be in the garden."

"You're serious? Then why is this place all decked out?"

"My parents like to make good impressions."

"I can tell."

The two sat in silence under the shade for a moment, and then, Toph promptly stood and brushed herself off with the air of a proper young lady.

"Looks like more people are coming. I better go see who."

"Alright. Good luck."

She sighed and walked away with those ladylike steps again, and for some reason, Sokka found the situation eerily familiar.

_The dream I had before. Toph._

The blind Earthbender left, but the memory of her too-sweet smile and her eloquent speaking made him more than uncomfortable. It was Toph. Toph, the tomboy, the girl who embraced dirt and loved kicking rocks in people's faces and laughing when something happened to him. It was Toph, the greatest Earthbender in the world.

Toph, a girl in disguise. A girl hidden under the mask of a lady.

A mask he wanted desperately to rip off.

--

He waited in his guest room for the remainder of the afternoon, not wanting to stay in the heat for so long. A part of him wanted to go outside and help Toph with her endeavors, but common sense told him to stay under the radar. He had to be ready for the ball, anyways, so most of his stay was spent trying to straighten up his unkempt clothing and brushing his fake beard. It was boring, and tedious, and tiring.

He wondered if Toph would be _dancing_ at the ball. And his mind wandered until he wondered what it would be like to dance with her.

He shook the thought off and just sat there, emerald silk underneath the jade of his robes.

* * *

**Author's Note:** This chapter was hard to do, mainly because I've never been to a ball (or a garden party!) so I didn't know how to describe Toph's garden. I'm sorry that the OC Suitors you guys sent in didn't get written into this chapter- it's mainly an introduction to the ball, so there's a lot more to tell. Thank you all for reading and reviewing so far!

_In The Next Chapter:_ Mai and Ty Lee visit the rebel hideouts in the outskirts of the Palace City and try to make a treacherous alliance. Zuko sails to Ba Sing Se, all the while trying to maintain a rocky correspondence with his girlfriend... and a certain Waterbender? Meanwhile, Katara tells Aang an interesting story about the time he defeated Ozai. And in Gaoling, the ball's in full swing... will Sokka succeed in his plans?


	17. The Bei Fong Ball, Part Two

**Part Two: **Spring

**Chapter Seven:** The Bei Fong Ball, Part Two

* * *

_She walks like silk and smiles like pain_

_A porcelain doll under emerald guise_

_Eyes unseeing, heart unfeeling_

_Laughter bleak as the night skies_

_Take her hand. Take her heart_

_And fly into the silent night_

_Break her bonds and set her free_

_And give the blind girl endless sight._

* * *

"Katara? Can you tell me something?"

She nodded, although she dreaded the conversation. She thought she knew what it was going to be about, and although a part of her wanted to confront the situation, she had never brought herself around to think of any possible solutions. Instead, Aang sat up and looked straight at her, grey eyes studying her face thoughtfully.

"You never actually told me how I beat Fire Lord Ozai."

Part of her sighed in relief, yet she was a bit disappointed. Her fingers, cloaked in light blue water, gently stroked the cuts that scarred his left arm.

"I didn't think you'd have _wanted_ to know... not in this state."

"Well, maybe I didn't. Once. But now, I just feel like I need to remember how I brought him down."

"Is there any reason for that?"

"Well..." He looked away from her and sighed. "I want to know this because I see all these wounds and I don't know how I got them. Because I want to feel like I did something and didn't fail everyone after one blow."

She sighed and brought her fingers down. Most of Aang's external injuries were healing fairly well, and although still weak, the boy could sit up for longer periods of time before growing too tired to talk. Either way, Katara's visits were usually short and generally impersonal. She just felt that it was her responsibility as a friend to check up on him, despite the tension in the air whenever his eyes met hers.

"Alright, Aang. Just tell me when you're tired."

--

_The air was heavy with smoke and hot with flames. She ran, despite the fumes and the growing clouds of black smoke and the barrage of fire that mazed the palace. The ground quaked under her feet, and she nearly glanced back to see how Toph was holding off the throngs of Fire Nation soldiers that surrounded her. She coughed, looked around, and caught the faintest glance of a tattooed hand before turning her full attention to the area beyond. _

_Firebenders guarded the throne room, no doubt trying to protect their leader. She lashed out with a wave of water that would hopefully clear the soldiers long enough to gain access to the room, but just as quickly, more guards surrounded the door and shot blasts of fire at the two invaders trying to fend them off. She heard the sound of wind cutting through the air, and saw the soldiers fall around them and be replaced by more. There were too many... there were too many soldiers and not enough time. She turned to the Airbender, who had just blocked an incoming blast of flames with a sheet of earth, and shouted above the wreckage._

_"Get in there! I'll hold them off!"_

_The water surrounded her in a large ring - the octopus form. She lashed out and blocked every attack, the water bending to her will, as the Airbender evaded fire and shot flames to counter the ones that were directed at him. _

_"No, Katara. I'm staying here. There's too many- you can't hold them off alone!"_

_"Just go, Aang. Go!"_

_She winced as fire grazed her arms from every direction, and quickly lashed out with weapons of her own. Soon, the area was all but cleared, and she looked around, scanning the area in anticipation for more soldiers. "Aang, I'll be fine. I'll meet you in the throne room."_

_"No, you'll be-"_

_"Just go. I'll be fine!" She glanced around her, caught in the wave of Firebenders surrounding them again, and turned to the Avatar that flanked her back. "It's now or never, Aang."_

_She lifted a sheet of water to block the flames shot in her direction and lashed out with a waterwhip of her own, and in the corner of her eye, she saw a lithe shape knock the guards that protected the door to the ground with a sheet of wind and break the door down with a thud._

* * *

"I've never walked to the edge of the Palace City before. It's so _plain_."

"But there's a lot of neat places here. There's this store where they sell robes, and I saw one that would look gorgeous on you!"

"We're not here to look for robes, Ty Lee. We're here on another stupid order from Azula."

"Yeah, but maybe we could go shopping afterwards!"

The two walked down the cobbled streets, their shoes making clicking sounds on the sun-baked bricks that tiled the roads. Although evening, the air was hot and humid - typical Fire Nation weather. Ty Lee had always wondered how Mai was able to withstand the heat of the sun, but had never fully voiced it. The older girl was evidently annoyed at being dragged into the streets, and asking her questions was no way to make her companion more amiable.

"You sure you know where this hideout of yours is?"

"Of course I do! Azula's sent me here dozens of times last week. I think I've gained their trust."

"Or maybe you've been flirting so much with them that they hardly consider you a theat."

"It's not like I can help it! Those boys are really nice."

"Or in your case, nice _looking_..."

"That too."

They rounded a corner until they came to a derelict path that veered slightly off the street. The scattered remains of broken-down shops and crashed wheelbarrows cast long shadows across the streets. Boxes littered the ground, and an overbearing stench made the two wrinkle their noses. It was a dead end, three walls blocking it off from the rest of the streets that surrounded it. This corner was empty and unassuming, and Mai nearly rolled her eyes.

"How cliche. _A deserted alley._ These rebels are pretty uncreative when it comes to hideouts."

"It's the best they can do in this part of the city. And keep down-" She glanced around warily, looking for signs of passerby. "Pretty much nobody comes here, but we should keep our voices down just in case."

"Whatever." The sixteen-year-old frowned as Ty Lee knocked on the left wall three times. A brick in the wall shifted, and Mai could make out two hazel eyes staring back into Ty Lee's grey ones. He scrunitized the acrobat, and asked:

"How many messenger hawks were dispatched?"

"Two. And I know that you know who _I_ am!" Ty Lee gave the person on the other side a broad grin, which made Mai cringe a little. "Can we get in already?"

"No. From whom were they sent?"

_A crazy princess_, Mai grumbled, as Ty Lee responded, "The wilting flower."

"And what do they seek?"

"Sunlight to nourish her."

For a second, Mai thought that some mechanism would allow the wall to swing open, but instead, the hazel eyes disappeared. She groaned in exasperation and eyed Ty Lee with a "this was a waste of time" glare, which her companion had grown accustomed to and learned its meaning.

"Relax, Mai. I'm pretty sure they haven't changed the code." She walked out of the alley and turned back onto the road, stopping at the house nearest the alley. A grin on her face, she knocked briskly on the door, then swung it open.

"If you were going to open it, why bother knocking?"

"Just to let them know we're here." Ty Lee stepped inside, and beamed as the two walked to three boys sitting around a table. They weren't much older than the two girls were, and it was this fact that immediately made Mai skeptical. The impulsive actions of three teenage boys weren't going to do much to Iroh, and the sixteen-year-old already knew that the Dragon of the West could take all three of them all with relevant ease. If Azula was looking for these rebels for support, she wasn't going to find a lot of it.

"Hey! We were wondering when we'd see you again!" One of the young men grinned and waved, much to Ty Lee's pleasure and Mai's annoyance. Everywhere they went, some boy had to fall for the acrobat. A "rebel hideout" couldn't be much different.

"I brought my friend too, if that's alright."

"Sure." One of the young men stood up and extended a hand to Mai. He seemed to be the oldest of the bunch, and could've been someone she had known before. She couldn't tell. The three of the boys didn't look very prominent, but their attire suggested otherwise. It was enough to make the girl wonder why a bunch of noblemen's sons were running around trying to overthrow a government.

The boy looked at her expectantly, as if he actually thought that Mai would take his hand. She just whipped a knife out casually and started pivoting it, and the boy stepped back hesitantly.

"She's, uh... a knife thrower. Just like I can do chi-blocks and such." Ty Lee shot the young men a nervous grin, and bit her lip. This wasn't going too well. Ty Lee could tell that Mai thought this was some joke, and quickly tried to dissuade such a notion. "Uh... can I show her around?"

"Sure. If you two are planning on joining the rebellion, you've gotta know where you'll be working." The boy that waved to Ty Lee stood up and walked towards the two. "I'll show you both around."

"Thanks!" Ty Lee shot him a sweet smile, and Mai almost groaned as the boy took her hand.

_Great, Azula. Just wonderful. Tell us to join a rebellion and you lead us directly to a bunch of idiot nobles playing games._

For once, though, Mai felt a bit relieved. Azula failed. She and Ty Lee had failed. And Iroh was safe for now.

* * *

Zuko was alone on his ship again. Alone, for an entirely different reason.

He didn't even know why he was on this ship, anyways. Before, with Katara on board, he had a purpose. A drive. A mission to keep Aang safe and get Katara to the North Pole. Now that it was over, he had no idea what he was doing drifting in an empty sea. He knew his plan well enough to have laid an outline in his head. First to the North Pole, then Ba Sing Se, then to the various other places he and his nation had stormed.

The various other places. The entire world. It made no difference.

Zuko, crown prince of the Fire Nation, was never coming home again.

It wasn't as if he had anything to look forward to. After all, Mai was being her emotionless, empty, _selfish_ self. He had no idea how Iroh was doing, and he wasn't in any hurry to ask. He had been the one who had sent him out here, after all. If it weren't for him, he would be back at home eating fruit tarts with Mai. If it weren't for him, he wouldn't have the Avatar's silent hatred burning into his head like a memory and have the lingering feeling of not belonging.

But if it weren't for Fire Lord Iroh, Zuko wouldn't have known the extent of Katara's kindness. And maybe it was what he had been sent out here for all along. To learn and to know and to feel the world at peace for once in his life.

It was amazing to him that after all he had done to her and her people, after all that time he had wasted trying to fight her, that she could still talk to him in that way of hers. And it was in the real world, not the glossed, walled Fire Nation city where the nobles and ladies made forced conversations and faked empty smiles. It was true kindness, not artificial love.

It felt so wrong, though, to think that Mai's love could've been artificial. He had looked at her steel-cut words, seen the sarcasm and hurt and unbearably cold words scrawled on those pieces of parchment, and had felt a sudden desire to rip them all apart and burn them until they were ashes on the table. But there was something else. There was an invisible force that prevented him from reaching out and cutting all bonds with the girl he used to love. And it was a debt, a debt he had yet to repay. She had saved his life, not out of reverence for his interests, but because she had loved him.

Loved him. Despite the devastation he had dealt her in his parting words and the heartbreak he had wrought upon her, she had lashed out with silver blades and spilled blood for him at the Boiling Rock. He remembered when the prison in the Palace City had been searched for war prisoners and he had stood outside, waiting and watching for anybody of interest. He found two, ragged, worn, almost invisible. And there she had been, standing straight and slim and perfectly cold as always, standing in a prison uniform that had never been meant to be hers.

It was this thought that made him hold her last letter in his hand and made him glance at the words that her hand had carefully inscribed and the thoughts, however bitter, that she still held. The thoughts that she still bothered to write and tell him about. It was a bit more comforting to know that there was still somebody out there, thinking of him. Even if those thoughts had turned to resentment and anger.

It was proof that he wasn't supposed to be out here, and even more motivation to get his sorry self back home as soon as he could. It was a driving force, something that made him want to go back and fix it, to repay the girl he left behind in the Fire Nation. It wasn't love, it was a debt. And however much he was reluctant to face Mai after everything, he knew more than anything that honor was important. Zuko never left a debt unpaid, and scorning Mai wasn't the easiest way to pay her back for saving his life.

Just a matter of honor, nothing more. It was strange how after everything, his mission and his life had revolved around honor.

--

_Prince Zuko,_

_It's wonderful to hear that you have succeeded in your endeavors. The Fire Lord is pleased with your work, and wishes you luck on your journey to Ba Sing Se. _

_And as for me? I wish you luck as well. Just the thought of you miles and miles away is enough to keep me occupied._

_Whether or not you wish to interpret that as pathetic longing or stubborn hatred is up to you, Zuko._

_Mai_

* * *

It had been a day since Sokka had set foot in the Bei Fong estate as a royal.

The night before had merely been a precursor to the horrid events that would follow. Now, Sokka, in the guise of the Earth King's nephew, had to successfully pull off his regality at a ball full of prestigious Earth Kingdom nobles. When you put it that way, it was hard not to feel a shudder of uncertainty. It was hard to do that with fancy robes weighing you down, though.

Toph had been forced to talk to a bunch of nobles yesterday. Sokka could hardly imagine how tortured she must have felt, but he couldn't help hiding a smile when thinking about the Blind Bandit in layers of silk and makeup, trying not to chuck rocks at the throngs of suitors trying to win her hand. The last he'd seen of her had been at breakfast that morning. As the most prominent man present, he had been forced into the seat directly across from Toph herself. She made faces at the other men over a bowl of porridge, elicting chuckles that Sokka had to stop from making audible by shoving grains of rice into his mouth as eloquently as possible.

* * *

_The floor was stained with crimson. Crimson, like Fire Nation uniforms; crimson, like flames; crimson, like spilled blood. She ran, though, ran past all the crimson and blues and greens of the ones that had fallen. She didn't care, didn't pause to heal or look, but kept on going, willing her feet to fly._

_There was only one thought on her mind. Aang. Aang, Aang, Aang. _

_She ran into the throne room, her eyes scanning the mess of flame searing the air. It was scorching hot, like a furnace, and she had to keep herself from averting her eyes as the flames exploded into walls of fire and burned white in the red of the room. She lashed out at a soldier nearby and tried to extinguish as much of the flames as she could. All the while, she kept on looking for a small, lithe figure amidst the fire. _

_She could hear cries and shouts and yells. She could feel the earth shake and the air heated with fire that burned as searingly as the sun. She was being burned alive, but she didn't care. Burns could be healed. Death was irreversible. And Aang's death was something that couldn't ever happen, couldn't ever happen..._

_She took a deep breath. As long as the flames still flew, the battle still raged, and Aang was still alive. She calmed herself down and fought the barrage of soldiers that surrounded her. Meanwhile, she heard the footsteps of allies and enemies rushing into the throne room, still fighting for their lives and for the lives of others, but kept on destroying for the Avatar and Fire Lord that fought in the flames. _

_Fire Nation soldiers surrounded her, and she drew the liquid out of her waterskin, forming a protective barrier separating her and the soldiers flanking her. She assumed the octopus form, lashing out in every direction, and it was not until they all fell that she saw the soft flutter of fabric as Aang landed next to her, landing like a bird on his toes, ever-so-lightly next to her._

_"Aang, you-"_

_"Watch out!" A blast of flames grazed her side as he thrust his wooden staff out and barely managed to counter the attack of the Firebenders approaching. He shot a small, shaky smile at her before looking back at the soldiers that had spotted the Avatar and his Waterbending master in the middle of the throne room._

_"Get out of here, Aang. You can't afford to lose your energy."_

_"It's alright, as long as the Fire Lord can't see me-"_

_A blast of flame was quickly dodged by the flighty Airbender, and it wasn't long until a barrage of fire followed the first. He glanced at her with a determined look and leapt away into the scalding furnace of heat._

* * *

"Toph! You-"

"Shush up!" She pushed him into a corner and bit her lip. "If anyone sees us here, I'm dead."

"I thought the whole point was to get them to think we were going to get married."

"Yeah, but not _now_!"

Sokka glanced around the corner and surveyed the empty hall. He sighed and turned back to Toph. "There's nobody in the hallways. What's been going on?"

"Tons of stupid stuff." She huffed a little. "I'm just glad to be free of all that makeup. I felt like a doll."

"So you're gonna have to get dressed again for the ball this evening?"

"Yeah. Wish I didn't have to, but that's the way things are." She shook her head in mock self-pity, then leaned against the wall in a very unladylike fashion. "You know, now that we've gotten so far into the plan, I kinda forgot what we're gonna do afterwards."

"I thought we were going to take Appa and fly off somewhere."

"Yeah, but where? We've got to get away from this place as fast as we can."

"I always thought that we were going to meet up with Katara and Aang at the North Pole."

"Oh, great. I won't be able to see with all that ice to walk on."

"No problem. We can carry you around or something."

A long, awkward silence ensued, and Toph took a deep breath.

"Okay..."

The warrior dismissed it with a sigh. "Alright, alright, let's just figure it out later. Right now, we need to focus on making sure no one gets suspicious. I've already had some of the maids eyeing me."

"You get maids, and I get nobles trying to kiss up to my parents."

"At least you don't need to wear a disguise!"

"At least you don't need to wear a _dress_."

"Look, both of us have got a lot to deal with, but we've got to remember that one mistake will cost us the whole thing."

"Isn't that the truth. I mean, look who's talking."

He tried not to make his annoyance evident as he replied. "Alright, so what're we going to do at the ball? Make a scene? Upset some nobles?"

Toph pursed her lips. "Actually, I think I'm gonna have to dance with you."

"_What_?"

"Dancing. It's like walking, but like an idiot. You know, spinning in circles and stepping on feet and everything." Toph spun her finger around to demonstrate, which irked Sokka even more. It wasn't as if he hadn't expected to dance with Toph at the ball, it was just that it hadn't really been outwardly expressed by either of them. It was a bit awkward, but hey, better now than later.

"I know, it's just that I... never mind."

"You don't know how to ball dance, huh?"

He rolled his eyes. "When in my life have I ever expected to attend a ball?"

"Uh... a few days, weeks, months ago?"

"Whatever. So I'll just follow whatever you're doing and try to act dignified."

"Close enough. Although I'm blind, you know. You've gotta look like you're steering this helpless little girl around. Which is totally the opposite of what we're gonna do, but sure."

"And does this mean that you have to dance with the rest of the suitors?"

"Definitely, and there'll be a lot of crushed toes by the end of the ball. After all, I am blind." Toph smirked and cracked her fingers, causing the warrior next to her to smile. He missed seeing this side of Toph, and it was nice that by the end of all this, she would go back to being the way she was before. It gave him a little more motivation.

"So. See you after you get all dressed up?"

"Yeah. See you at the ball." She grinned and walked away, causing Sokka to sigh and lean against the wall. He was tired, and a night of dancing would just complicate things for him. But this was for Toph... Toph, the toughest Earthbender and one of the greatest friends he had ever made. And he wouldn't let her down.

--

The ball would take place outdoors, with the dancing taking place at the courtyard and everything else spilling into the garden. Apparently, there had been a change of plans (something about the ballroom being too small to accomodate the plethora of guests that had arrived) and contrary to Toph's statement, the ball was to be held outside. The decor was still up, and it was large enough for all the guests.

Sokka didn't mind. It was going to be easy to lose himself in the rustle of colorful fabrics and the huge shrubs and trees that sprouted over the garden. Besides, it would give Toph lots of Earthbending material if she had to get away from an annoying suitor.

He attached the fake moustache on, practiced a few smiles, and whisked his cape on with a grin. It felt good to be a fake royal. It was good to be a conspirator in the escape of Toph Bei Fong. And pretty soon, it would feel good to be flying away as _Sokka_.

He left his room and locked the door, trying to walk down the hallway without making eye contact with any of the other guests. No apparent suspicions had arisen in them, but it was better safe than sorry. Sokka bit his lip slightly as he wondered how he would go through the ball just walking around and trying to ignore everybody but Toph. He had to make small talk sometime, and there was no doubt in his mind that some prominent person from a nearby region would eventually come up to him and force him to say something.

* * *

One of the many things Mai hated was being wrong. And she had been proven wrong, it seemed, for the hundredth time that day when the rebel hideout turned out to be... formidable.

At first glance, there were those wretched, spoiled teenagers. But then, there were those large weaponry rooms. And then, there were rooms full of conspiring noblemen and hallways full of assasins and corridors with hidden secrets locked behind doors.

All the while, she kept telling herself that Iroh could take anything. Even Zuko could take all these stupid rebels and their attempts to overthrow the throne. These people wanted the war, wanted Azula on the throne, wanted Iroh and Zuko dead. They still considered Zuko to be a traitor, somebody who deserved to be exiled. And Mai found herself wanting to whip a knife out and aim for the head of the teenage noble who kept trying to flirt with Ty Lee.

This was the most stupid, cliche place she had ever seen. And yet, she couldn't deny that a gathering of some of the Fire Nation's once-powerful noblemen and their families could be dangerous. A threat.

"And we have different places just like this all over the Fire Nation. Some members we send out to the other nations as well."

"But I thought the Earth Kingdom was already back under the Earth King's control?"

"There are a select few who'd like to regain power. You recall Long Feng, former head of the Dai Li?"

"Well... yeah. But Azula took care of him, right?"

"Correct, but now that the Fire Nation's no longer considered a threat, he's been set free. He's one of the most hated men in Ba Sing Se... a perfect candidate for helping us with our rebellion."

"So what exactly are you doing?"

"Uh..."

"Yeah. What's the point of gathering all these men here to do nothing but talk?" Mai contributed in the middle of Ty Lee and the young man's conversation. Ty Lee shot her a half-worried glance, and the teenager eyed her carefully.

"It's really under wraps. Join the rebellion. We'll tell you."

Just as Mai was about to decline and walk out in exasperation, Ty Lee broke in with a cheerful "We'll think about it!" and caught the edge of Mai's sleeve to keep her from walking away. The knife thrower brushed Ty Lee's hand away, but the pink-clad girl shot a small smile at her and mumbled, "After all, it's the only way to get Azula outta prison. And besides, you won't be bored anymore."

The older girl said nothing, just watched as Ty Lee and the young man exchanged some pieces of cryptic (but likely trivial) information and he went on his way again, a smile plastered onto his face as the acrobat waved a goodbye.

As he wandered out of hearing range, Mai scowled and muttered a "Let's get out of here," to which Ty Lee shrugged and led her to the door.

--

They were out on the streets again, and Mai was free to shout. Except she wasn't quite in the mood for shouting.

An argument would have to do, then.

"That hideout was the most idiotic place I've ever accompanied you to."

"Well, it was Azula's orders! Besides, I can't help it if those boys like me."

"I didn't mean the boys. I meant their stupid plan. Do you know anything about it?"

"Well, no, but if we join them, I guess we could find out!"

"That's exactly it. They're just sitting around spewing elaborate lies. Those noblemen in the back are probably drunkards."

"But if Azula knew about it, wouldn't it be at least _sorta _useful?"

"Azula's in prison. She doesn't know anything."

There was an uneasy silence, one Ty Lee broke by stating,

"Azula's never wrong."

"That was when she could find out anything she wanted to."

"So?"

"So she's in prison. Anything she hears down there is unreliable."

Ty Lee sighed. "Alright, alright. At least we went. It's still Azula's decision, after all."

They walked in silence. The light in the sky was dimming.

"Oh, yeah. Mai?"

"What now?"

"There's still time to go to that robe store, if you want."

* * *

"You were gone. I couldn't see you; the flames were everywhere. I knew you were okay, because the fighting was still going on. And I knew you would be alright.

"It wasn't until I saw you near Ozai's throne that I started to get worried. I didn't think you'd have gotten hurt if you fought from a long range, but you were just right there, right in front of him. And I was scared, Aang.

"I didn't know how your battle was going. Azula intercepted me just as I was about to get to you. Zuko was there, too. I guess he had fought his way through the Firebenders at the entrance and had decided to face his sister once and for all. To tell you the truth, Aang, he helped me. I didn't want to acknowledge it, but he was right alongside me. I thought it would be alright to leave him with Azula.

"And I was wrong. She blocked the throne completely."

"I remember, Katara."

"You were just up ahead, too. I wanted to help."

"It was so hard to watch you face Azula. But I had to let you go."

"I know. And I hate myself for being the reason why you couldn't have beat him sooner."

There was a quiet silence, and he then spoke, quietly:

"Maybe it would've been better if you hadn't been there. You could've gotten hurt. You could've... _I_ could've..."

_I could've given you up. I could've gone into the Avatar State. I could've been alright._

She gazed at him for a moment. The weight of the war had forced him into bandages and scarred him. The weight of disappointment had shattered his spirit and quelled his desire to live. He was just breathing for the sake of breathing.

She realized that he didn't really care anymore. It didn't matter to him whether he lived or not, and she... she had been one of the reasons for that.

"I don't know." She sighed then, taking his hand in hers. "I... honestly don't know. I just know that it was worth it, in the end. Everything."

"No. Just because the war's over, that doesn't mean everything is."

He glanced up at her, and she turned away for a moment, trying to think.

She had hurt him, in more ways than one. She had been so overprotective of him at the start that her pride got in the way of his health. And when he had needed her most, she had turned to Zuko, turned to him and given up on what she thought was a dead boy.

But Aang was very well alive. And he was suffering, for what he had done for the world. For her.

"No... not everything's over. But then again, not everything's bad."

She looked back at him and offered him a small smile. A soft, genuine smile. It wasn't the most reassuring, but it was the most real one she had attempted since Aang had woken up. It seemed to bring him comfort, and a quiet sigh escaped the young Airbender's lips before he asked, quietly:

"You're going to help me, right? Before it all ends?"

"It won't end for you, Aang." She squeezed the tattooed hand gently, the cold of his hands warmed by the heat of her gloved fingers. "I promise. I... I'll help. Everyone owes you this, you know."

"So you're doing this because it's a debt." He held onto her fingers quietly, his numb fingers entwined with hers. "It's something you have to do to repay me."

"Aang, I'm not doing this for you just because you saved the world. I want to help you because... I don't want you to lose hope, either." She let go of his hand, then, and he settled back onto his bed, wincing in pain as his back wounds made contact with the bedsheets.

"I don't know. I don't even know if it's worth it." Aang leaned against the pillow, eyes half-lidded. "My destiny was to save the world, but it's all over. The world doesn't need me anymore."

"We do need you. And even if the world doesn't anymore, I know that I do." She laid a hand on his shoulder, then stood up and walked to the door. "Get some sleep. I'll be back tomorrow morning, alright?"

"Okay. 'Night, Katara."

The Waterbender smiled as she left the tent. The spring breeze scattered the snow that lay like powder across the ground.

--

_Some part of me dreams and prays that Aang will be alright. Some part has already lost hope. I'm not sure which to trust._

_I keep telling myself that he's in the best of care. That spirit water, herbs, and healers have done so much for him already. They brought him awake, brought him back to life. And yet, a simple boy, even the Avatar, can't live, can't fight the onrush of death, with only the hope that the medicine will keep him alive._

_I just don't want to get hurt. Never again. I told myself, back when Zuko was here for me to lean on, that it was best to treat Aang like he was already gone. To hide those feelings so that I wouldn't get hurt when it was all over. I gave up then, because of my own selfishness. I didn't want to be crushed, didn't want to feel the pain of loss so strongly again. I thought Aang had no hope._

_I realize, now, that Aang had given up when I did. He had lost the will to live when I treated him like he was already gone. And in trying to protect myself from Aang's inevitable death, I blinded myself from the fact that he had a fighting chance... that he was alive. _

_It hurt him so much. It must have hurt him even more when Zuko, an... enemy to him... had more faith in Aang than I did._

_I just want to help him. I want to give him that hope now. I know that he has a chance, and I know that he can live. If only he has the will to._

_But... I can't love him, despite that fact. I just can't. It's what hurts the most, that attachment. If he were to leave me, if everything were to leave... I would be heartbroken. I can't stand that, can't take the loss. And though I know... I know it's what Aang needs, what he needs to know most of all- it's the one emotion that I need to hide no matter what. I can't do it, can't love the boy I'm trying to protect. Because I need to protect myself, too._

_Yet... if he were to know, I think it would make him want to live again. Just knowing that I love him... it would be enough. __I can't. I can't hurt myself or hurt Aang. It'll just end up as a regret in the end._

_How can you crush someone you can't help but love? _

_How can you love someone when you have no choice but to crush them?_

_--_

Katara,

Has Aang made any progress? I'm nearly at Ba Sing Se, so I want to make sure. If you need any assistance, you can always ask.

Zuko

* * *

The sun was setting, and most of the guests were filing out of the estate and into the courtyard, where the dancing would take place. The lanterns strewn around the garden had been lit, and fireflies circled the quiet yard. The ball would start in a matter of minutes, but for now, it was just the suitors and their chaperones. Sokka hadn't seen Toph yet, so he assumed that she would arrive when the festivities began.

"Hey, I haven't seen you around before. What province do you live in?"

Sokka froze at the sound. One of the suitors had walked up to him, and was apparently trying to start a conversation. Unfortunately, there was no escape, and the "Earth King's nephew" was forced to make a reply as the young man, who was so heavily lauded with gold jewelry that it was a surprise that his skinny legs could hold him up, approached him with a grin.

"Oh, um... I live in Ba Sing Se. Big city, you know?" He managed, smiling awkwardly.

"Hm, tell me about it." The suitor surveyed the garden thoughtfully. "Nice yard they've got here. It doesn't hold a candle to the one at my estate, though."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah. We've got a whole garden full of panda lilies. The fountains are made of gold." The suitor grinned smugly. "What's it like at Ba Sing Se? Any different in the big city?"

"Well, ever since the Fire Nation lay siege to it, I haven't really gone out. It's dangerous to even be in your own garden, y'know? Firebenders and all."

"They aren't so bad. I once sunk a whole shipload of Fire Nation troops." He cracked his knuckles, and Sokka found himself grimacing at both the suitor's foolish pride and the way he was trying to display his strength.

"That's nice. Brave." How long was this going to go on? "Uh, what are your thoughts on Miss Bei Fong? A real catch, isn't she?"

"Look, I'm just in it for the fortune." The suitor leaned against the wall, a scowl on his face. "The Bei Fongs are one of the richest families in the Earth Kingdom. Their only daughter will inherit their fortune and the rest of their estate, and she's blind. See, if I were to marry her, it would be too easy to take that fortune. She's not in any position to stop me. She can't even see!"

"So you're in it for the perks, right?" Sokka felt a tide of anger swell up inwardly, remembering Yue and how it had been the same for her. "From what I've heard, though, To- I mean, Miss Bei Fong- she's a real lady. Charming, witty-"

"She's weak. She can't do anything without those maids of hers." The suitor rolled his eyes. "She'll be a real pain to have as a wife, but hey, once I get that fortune, I'll be able to ship her off somewhere. She won't even know."

"How do you know that? Have you even tried to talk to her?"

"Once, but someone pushed me into the pond before I could get a chance. It was weird, because nobody was around except for her. She was a few feet away, though, so she couldn't have done it herself." He raised an eyebrow thoughtfully. "Unless she's an Earthbender, but even I know that weak girls like her can't bend worth a copper piece. I probably just tripped."

_Nice one, Toph. Score one for the Blind Bandit._

The suitor stood up straight, then, and Sokka sighed inwardly in relief, knowing that the conversation was about to come to a close.

"I'm Gaishi, by the way. See you around?"

"Yeah... yeah, sure." Sokka half-heartedly waved him away, then sighed and leaned against the wall himself. The string musicians had already set themselves up in the middle of the courtyard, and like Toph had said, a traveling circus had arrived and was warming up by the gates. The tables had been set up outdoors, and dinner was probably going to be served soon. Despite everything, maybe the ball itself wouldn't be too bad.

As soon as he made his way over to a snack table, though, everything- everyone- went silent. The shuffling of footsteps and murmuring ceased as Toph Bei Fong and her parents made their way out of the estate.

Toph looked like she was being suffocated. Her dress was the white silk one he had helped her buy that day, except that the Bei Fong family crest, a flying boar, had been sewn with gold silk onto the skirt. She looked the part of a lady.

She looked like everything she had never wanted to be.

* * *

**In the Next Chapter:** Toph crushes some toes, breaks some hearts, and teaches Sokka how to dance. Meanwhile, Katara, having come to terms with her relationship with Aang, is determined to help him get well again and uses some innovative techniques. Zuko writes letters to his uncle and Mai, all the while nearing Earth Kingdom territory. Mai is once again forced to accompany Ty Lee on another unpleasant order from Azula... and what _is_ her plan, anyway?

And I'm sorry for not updating sooner. You see, I've run into a mess here. With the finale aired and everything set into place, a lot of critical plot elements I had wanted to incorporate were out of the question. Also, I had come down with a case of writer's block, and had all but lost my motivation after Avatar ended. However, I thank all of you who have set me back on track, especially Davis 51, who has helped so much with critiquing the story and gave me so much help. Thanks for your ideas, reviews, and support, everybody!


	18. The Bei Fong Ball, Part Three

**Part Two: **Spring

**Chapter Eight:** The Bei Fong Ball, Part Three

* * *

_So still, the night, that flies like years_

_Blurred, a sea of white and green_

_Nightmares within abstract nightmares_

_Wretched dreams within a dream._

_Who is this girl? He asks himself,_

_Who is the lady that he sees?_

_And she replies, with one blind stare:_

_"A girl I never want to be."_

* * *

They wanted to be anywhere but here, and it was this fact that the princess relished. They were standing before her, one slim, elegant shadow of a lady and one pink-clad bundle of half-masked nerves.

Mai and Ty Lee. Her childhood friends; her adolescent cohorts.

She knew that around every corner, there were allies: nobles still bitter from the nation's loss, generals who had been stripped of their rankings. They were people she had once controlled, but had now fallen like scattered little pieces on a Pai Sho table.

They were so weak, those pawns. Nothing more than moldable clay.

Mai and Ty Lee were pawns as well.

She knew that both understood how strong she had been, because they were still there. They feared her again, though Azula had been rid of her bending, the prestige stripped from her. Yet, nobody else had to know that her power had gone, too.

Mai and Ty Lee had already experienced the full extent of her strength, and evidently believed she still held it. And yet, the irony was that if they ever dared to double-cross her, if they ever dared to betray her again, Azula could just as easily tear them down again with the alliances she had forged _through_ the two of them.

Simple, wasn't it? Manipulation. And it was so easy, what with Ty Lee's compassion and Mai's intricate comprehension of Fire Nation nobility. She could build a nation through them and, if they failed, she could just as easily tear them down.

Compassion had never really been Azula's strong point, after all. It was a sign of imperfection.

--

Ty Lee and Mai knew that Azula had allies everywhere. She had inspired fear in the guard that brought her food and unwavering admiration from the people who had remained loyal to her father. They knew that Azula realized the prescence Iroh had among his people. They were divided between loyalty and hesitation, which the princess would take advantage of for the time being.

She would attempt to do so through the two of them. Their loyalties were unquestionable. Unfaltering. They had been the closest to her, and knew what she was capable of. And Azula had been the closest to them both, tearing her way through layers and facades until she knew each girl's weaknesses, her desires, her struggles. She was a sly and conniving worm, wriggling its way through an apple and rotting it. Making it hers.

Mai and Ty Lee were Azula's spies. Her co-conspirators. It was only now that they realized what their roles truly meant.

She didn't look up at them, just kept her gaze on the floor, contemplating something. At last, after an uneasy silence, her head rose and her eyes studied both girls before she fixed them on Mai.

"You've been corresponding with Zuko, haven't you?"

There was no malice in her voice, just a sugary-sweet query. Mai fought the impulse to glare at Ty Lee, who had blanched as soon as Azula set her gaze on her companion. The sixteen-year-old just stood her ground, then, trying to take advantage of the split-second silence that accompanied the question.

If she said yes, her entire relationship with Zuko was in jeopardy. Then again, it already was.

"I have been," she answered cautiously but resolutely, trying to keep the bitterness out of her voice.

"And what, Mai, do you think that will accomplish?" Came the equally prying question. Ty Lee gulped, and Azula shot a look at her. The _be-quiet-while-the-princess-is-interrogating-somebody_ look. And it was then that Mai realized that somehow, the pink-clad girl had managed to take all the information that Mai had entrusted her with and given them, willingly, to the prisoner behind bars.

"It will accomplish nothing," Mai found herself saying, the words forming themselves in her mouth before she could think. "I need to keep writing to the idiot so he won't suspect anything from us."

"Yes, of course," the prisoner submitted then, studying her fingernails like she used to do when she reigned as a princess. "But I've heard that the both of you aren't exactly the best of companions now, are you? Perhaps long-distance relationships aren't his forte."

The sixteen-year-old didn't know how to answer this, and Ty Lee, torn between the two, wasn't in any condition to take sides. Azula studied them both until the silence overwhelmed the three.

"If this is to work, Mai," she then spoke, her voice coming in a deep little murmur, "I need you to mend your relationship with Zuko. Convince him- and his traitor uncle- that there is nothing to worry about here in the Fire Nation. Let their guards down. And as for you, Ty Lee-" she glanced at the acrobat, who was practically quivering. "How am I to trust you when you've already told me so much about Mai? Who am I to know exactly what you're telling Iroh?"

"I'm really sorry, Azula. But I haven't been telling them anything. I swear."

Ty Lee's voice came out in a little whisper, and Azula's eyebrows raised ever-so-slightly in surprise. Mai gave in, and shot a look at her companion. Maybe it was simply on impulse, maybe Ty Lee just got carried away by the situation, but contradicting Azula was sure to make the former princess even more deadly.

Perhaps their betrayal of her, so long ago, it seemed, had heightened Ty Lee's self-assurance. Either way, it was sure to come to a bitter consequence.

"I need to be sure of it, Ty Lee. I need to be sure of everything," Azula muttered, glaring at the two. "Mai, I want you to start bringing me my brother's letters. I know his handwriting; there's no use in forging anything." Her eyes penetrated the sixteen-year-old, who knew perfectly well that Azula meant it. "And Ty Lee, our business is strictly confidential. If any news of what we're doing comes back to me by somebody other than you two, I will know exactly who told them."

"I understand," Ty Lee murmured, and Mai, who was somewhat shakened by the fact that Azula knew about her correspondence, just nodded once and said nothing.

"Good. I knew it was wise to trust you," the prisoner intoned, the sweetness crawling back into her voice. "You may leave."

--

When had he been truly honest with her?

The entire ship was asleep, and he fought to stay awake, his eyes half-closed in tiredness. He had unrolled some parchment, set the ink and a brush aside, and sat there. He straightened the paper for the fifth time in a row, then stifled a yawn.

Usually the words just came to him, but they couldn't this time.

It felt as if every time he explained to Mai about his job, his duty, his honor... she didn't care. She was harsh in her rebuttals, ambiguous in her remarks. As the miles stretched farther and farther between them, it felt like he knew less and less about who she was. He found himself forgetting how it felt to see her smile.

He forgot what it felt like to _make_ her smile.

"Dear Mai," he tried, but it sounded too familiar. He wasn't like that anymore with her. The ink slid off the brush in smooth, ebony drops, flecking the paper with careless black splotches until he realized what was happening and drew the brush away haphazardly.

_Mai, who are you? Why are you doing this to me now, when I've already told you everything?_

It was the question he longed to ask, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He imagined her, miles away in the Fire Nation. It was as if he was writing to some stranger, a lady he was forced to be nice to.

"Mai," he started, testing the syllable of her name under his breath. He picked the brush up, and quickly wrote her name down, as if it would leave his memory as swiftly as it came.

_Mai,_

Immediately, a torrent of ideas came to mind. He scrawled down the usual: "Send Uncle my greetings." And he paused for a moment, trying to organize the swirl of words in his head into sentences.

_By this time you recieve this, I'll probably be in Ba Sing Se. You remember what we did there. The people of the Earth Kingdom are strong-willed and stubborn. They never forget. This time, I'm a direct relation to the downfall of the city. I'll likely have a bad reception._

They were only thoughts, only rudimentary sentences, but he wrote them down nonetheless. He read through the letter, then noted that it bore an uncanny resemblance to some admiral's war log. Just a collection of facts, ones that held little sentiment and hardly meant anything.

_Be a good little prince and shut up,_ he remembered her saying. Shut up about what? About the truth?

The wet ink glimmered in the pulsing firelight. The text glared at him, black and etched in the parchment like carvings in stone. What would he have wanted her to say to him? How could he expect her to open up to him when the truth was, he had cared less and less about her as the world tore them apart? And yet, something held him back- the feeling that she wouldn't care, would fail to find the meaning in his words if he were truly honest. If he opened himself to her, would she regard those words as lies? Would she take his sentiments and throw them back in his face?

He loved her, once. He didn't know what it felt like, so he didn't know if he still did. And yet, wasn't having that little flicker of uncertainty gnawing at him better than realizing that he didn't love her at all?

_I don't know what you want to hear, Mai, but I'm trying. I'm guessing, but to be honest, it gets harder and harder. We're miles apart, and I've all but forgotten what we used to say to each other. I feel as if I'm treading with caution every time I write to you. _

He didn't care anymore, didn't care what Mai was going to say to this. If she found fault with it, she was finding fault with his honesty.

_I love you. I hate you. I miss you. I don't care anymore-_

The words flew through his mind, then, at lightning speed. All those days of surpressed emotion, of thoughts that he had denied and denied before- they clamored for release in the form of words, compelling him to write everything down on that piece of white parchment. He struggled to discern what was right and what was wrong, what was the stark truth and what was just embellished flamboyancy. Mai saw past all the lies, all the fake "I love you"s and the "I miss you"s that he had placed in his letters to appease her. He realized, then, that all she wanted was something _real_.

The ink was dripping again. He sorted his thoughts until his head was as clear as it could possibly be. In slow, unwavering strokes, he painted the words that swarmed in his mind in one simple sentence.

Why had it taken him so long to realize that he needed the truth, too?

* * *

_Has Aang made any progress? I'm nearly at Ba Sing Se, so I want to make sure. If you need any assistance, you can always ask._

Katara recieved Zuko's letter that night. His handwriting was rushed and hasty, just like him. He had asked about Aang's progress and what he could do for her. She thought about how to reply to that, but the only thing she could think of was a steadfast "No, thank you, Zuko. I don't need your help."

She knew she was taking control of things again. Being overprotective of Aang, thinking of him as if she were the only one who could revive him. After all, she had barely done a thing to aid Aang since she had stepped foot on the North Pole; his progress had all been attributed to the work of the healers. And maybe, swallowing her pride was going to be the best thing she had ever done for him. She knew she needed help if she wanted to help Aang in turn. The only thing hard about it was admitting that she did.

_He's the one dying, not you,_ she told herself, footsteps crackling as they crunched through sloshing ice. _He needs you more than you need your self-assurance._

The healing center was a short walk away from the infirmary. Everything seemed to come back in a blur as she remembered stepping through the same doors, a silent rage burning in her veins, the quiet indignation still coursing through her mind at Pakku's words. Women couldn't fight. Women couldn't train. And yet, hadn't Aang been the one to help her, then? The one to teach her and guide her, though it led her to a bitter consequence in the end?

It had been enough, though, to prove that he was willing to do anything and everything for her. Even during the first time they had set foot on the North Pole together, she had loved him. Back then, he was both a beacon of hope and a great friend. And now, he was reduced to a suffering adolescent, unable to move, unable to stand up tall and celebrate his victory, a young boy who desperately needed whatever she could do for him.

_Twice, you've failed him. You were weak in Ba Sing Se, and Azula took his life. You were stupid and ignorant and made the same mistakes this time. _

He had almost died under her hands, and she never wanted that to happen again. Aang needed anything and everything she could offer him.

--

When Katara came by, she would always tell him stories of what had transpired before and after the war, how he had been "brave" and "strong" and "deserving of so much more". Aang just lay there and took it, but he was inwardly biting back the impulse of asking why he was here, then, his strength ebbing away by the minute, if he had truly been a hero.

Katara had lay out a few of his birthday presents by his bed, and they stood there, little figures of what had been before the world went wrong. Aang had held the little sky bison carving numerous times, quietly turning the wood over in his hands and tracing the little cracks and nicks that patterned the faded mahogany. He had tried to imagine Appa, Sokka, and Toph in Gaoling, hoping that they were safe. He imagined what he would say to them once they came back and visited, and a faint little feeling of hope pulsing in his heart was keeping him wishing that by that time, he would be able to stand up and laugh with his friends like he had done before.

Things would never be the same, though. Aang understood this from the scars that burned on his arms and legs and the shattered bones that would repair but would never really be whole. He understood this from the irreparable damage that had been done to them all. The young Airbender could see it in Katara's faded smile and could hear it in his own voice, gravelly and weighed down with the gravity of pain. Their souls had been brushed with lost innocence, because they had killed and suffered and their childhood had died with the bloodied bodies on the palace floor.

He couldn't make sense of the world outside the four walls that confined him, outside the bed that he lay on and couldn't escape from even though nobody was stopping him. Maybe Katara's pain was larger and more jarring than he had thought it to be, and maybe the tears she shed weren't solely for him. Maybe Toph and Sokka were gone for good, and Katara was only lying to him and making him think that they were a world away, safe in Gaoling, when they were a world away and _dead_.

Aang wished that he could be a world away too, comatose and floating in the dark and flowing universe. His eyes would take the world in and the world would take his spirit away. And maybe then, he could be free from the pain and free from the platonic bounds of Katara's affection for him. He would love from afar, and he wouldn't feel guilty about it, and he could pretend that Katara had loved him all along instead of hearing the cold, dead truth of her words.

_I just can't love you_ to _I've always loved you_. And floating in a realm of unconsciousness, Aang would believe it instead of living, full awake to Katara's sorrow and whatever truths were written in her eyes, and listening to her tell him otherwise.

What brought him back was the truth that Aang loved her. What was the point of living if that didn't matter anymore?

* * *

_Obedience had consumed my childhood, and Zuko had consumed my adolescence. What was I to do, now that everything was gone?_

_It's interesting, though. I was beginning to think that my sacrifice for him would've opened his eyes a little. Showed him that I did care. That I wasn't just in it for physical attributes or royal connections, because I could care less about Fire Nation nobility. _

_Zuko turned my pathetic life into something meaningful. Maybe I relied on him too much, and Agni knows how well that turned out. Letters and lies, and Azula's stupid air of superiority. And Ty Lee, being all sympathetic. It was an artificial sympathy, because she, like all the other stupid girls who held steadfast to the belief of "true love", knew "things would work out in the end"._

_Because things _always_ "work out in the end". Not necessarily in my favor._

_Things had been tense after the war ended. Ty Lee and I were freed with the other prisoners of war, and Zuko and I pretended that nothing had happened. That plan resulted in failure. Heart-to-hearts were never my strong points, and he never expected us to talk. The silence was louder than words. _

_I pretended that Azula had never torn us apart. That there wasn't a rift between us, and there never had been. He pretended that it was for the best, that his decision to join the Fire Nation after defeating the Avatar at Ba Sing Se had been justified. So had his letter._

_He told me that if he hadn't turned traitor on his uncle, we would have never loved each other. I could tell that he still regretted not choosing the former above me. He told me that if he had faced me before he left to join the Avatar, he would never have found the will to leave me. I knew the words in his parting letter to me were the only ones he could think to say._

_It was this that made me bite my words of adoration back; they wouldn't be reciprocated. I couldn't ask so much of Zuko, and I knew he didn't expect much of me. We knew we could never go back to what we were before, or what I had imagined we were. Because back then, we were ignorant and naive. Thought only of ourselves._

_There was a world out there, and Zuko had experienced the full extent of it. I could give him nothing of that, so I refused to spend time with him. Palaquin rides and fruit tarts were stupid. Lying on couches doing nothing all day was pathetic. He was a war hero, and I was a spoiled nobleman's daughter. When he tried to console me, tried to give me everything I had wanted before but hated now, I was angry at him._

_I knew he was showering me with extravagance so we could somehow mend our relationship with trivial, pointless material objects. I knew that he hated them, but simply wanted to buy my affection. _

_Because I knew that the world had opened his eyes. Made him realize that no, I couldn't satisfy him anymore. So I stopped bearing everything and tore it all down._

_It wasn't like he cared. Those letters he sent, what seemed to be affection, were really just things to make me love him again. My mind hated him, but my heart didn't. It was so incredibly pathetic of me to even consider forgiving him; yet, a part of me took it and loved him all the more for it. For even bothering to put up with me._

_It was a matter of honor to him, but pretending comes easier to me. I can pretend that I actually mean something to Zuko._

_Agni knows I've made it hard for him._

_--_

The acrobat trembled as she took the dark steps down to her friend's confines. Shuddering, half from the cold and half from the fear, she felt her way down the murky blackness.

"What have you learned?" Came the low murmur, deadly even though it came from behind bars.

"The resistance is sending some forces to Ba Sing Se," she murmured, swallowing hard. She tried to keep her voice from wavering, knowing that one sign of hesitation would bring upon severe consequences. "Next week."

"Really?" Azula mused, and Ty Lee could sense genuine curiousity in her words. "And tell me, what is your opinion on sending a certain friend of ours along with them?"

"You mean..." The girl's eyes widened, and she fought to keep her voice steady. "Azula, don't you mean to send both of us?"

"Of course not. I need you here with me," the prisoner whispered, the malice giving way to an artificial sweetness. "You're the most trusted out of all my allies, Ty Lee. I need your companionship, your loyalty. You would never betray me, would you?"

"Of course not!" She replied quickly, and paused. An unearthly quiet permeated the dank air. "But what about Mai?"

"Mai's not like you, Ty Lee. She's always been one of my confidants, but I can sense that her affection for Zuko hasn't faltered yet." She glanced at her visitor, who looked on with a hint of trepidation. "You told me that Zuko's approaching Ba Sing Se. Sending Mai there will test where her loyalties truly lie."

"But what if she fails?" she whispered, and Azula's eyebrows raised ever-so-slightly.

"You know full well that failure is not accepted," she replied simply. She remained silent, letting Ty Lee mull this over, before the pink-clad girl murmured,

"Azula... what are you planning? I thought this was about Iroh, not about Zuko, and-"

"Having Zuzu out of the way will destroy his chances of ascending the throne after Iroh's downfall, of course. And who better to do that than the person he leasts expects will betray him?"

The shock sent waves of trepidation down Ty Lee's spine. She refused to believe it, and yet, the hard truth of it pressed down on her from all angles. She was powerless against Azula, powerless against the resistance. What could one girl do to hundreds of people?

"What do you mean?" she managed, Azula's malice paralyzing her until she was frozen in place. Ty Lee knew perfectly well what Azula was planning, but she couldn't bring herself to believe it. She just couldn't.

"Isn't it simple?" Came the low, triumphant reply. "Isn't Mai the perfect candidate for ending my brother's life?"

* * *

If he had been an unsuspecting suitor, Sokka would have guessed that whoever stepped out of the Bei Fong estate at that moment was a woman twice Toph's age. Powder was scattered like snow across her face. Layers of silk were draped across her small frame. It was as if some princess-toddler decided to play dress-up with a little blind girl and had strewn extravagance over every square inch.

The worst part was that Toph couldn't even see herself. She could only feel the pain and bear the humiliation, and maybe even that was too much for her. Throw a mirror and a sudden ability to see into the plethora of injustices and Sokka knew that she would burrow herself in the earth and never come out again.

He remembered the Earth King's "ball" at Ba Sing Se. Why hadn't Toph looked so awkward then, when she and Katara had dressed up in finery? A sudden primal instinct came over him, tempting him to rush over, snatch the porcelain Toph-doll away, and get a move on out of the estate. Glancing at Poppy and Lao Bei Fong, hovering like birds over their cornered prey, he knew why his fists were clenching and why the rage coursed through his veins.

It was because in Ba Sing Se, Toph had wanted to be made into a lady. It was funny to her, a trivial thing. This was real, and against her will.

War heroes were never meant to be punished in the first place.

Apparently, the string quartet had finished setting up. The first twangs of a mandolin filled the musty spring air, and Sokka found his head starting to hurt as the noblemen, noblewomen, and noble-whatevers started to bunch up together, crowding against each other to get a closer look at Lady Bei Fong. He stayed back, observing the scene casually and with a faint air of exhaustion, when he suddenly realized that _he_ was a suitor and _he_ was a nobleman and _he_ had to haul himself over there and swarm around Toph like the rest of them.

Half-tripping over his too-long robes, he huffed under his breath as he made his way over. So far, he had blent in perfectly, the green hues of his stolen robes just another wave in the emerald sea. Glancing up at Toph, he knew that she sensed his vibrations among the thirty-or-so suitors that had made a point to crowd around her.

"You look lovely today, Miss Bei Fong!" a daring suitor called, and was immediately silenced by a warning look from Lao. The head of the estate, dressed simply in ivory robes sewn with gold trim, was stately and silent, a prescence amidst the swarm of men. His fingers were firmly intertwined with Toph's, squeezing_ hard_. If she cared, she seemed not to show it, but just stood there with her mother and father like a quiet statue.

"Spirits, Toph," Sokka thought inwardly, half out of annoyance and half out of pity. The music had swelled until the noise was almost unbearable. The incessant dronings of the chaperones coupled with the pathetic compliments of the suitors made it almost impossible to think. He focused on putting one foot in front of the other until he had magically wormed his way through the group, maneuevering himself through the throng of courtiers almost effortlessly.

The ease could've been attributed to the fact that his chestplate was enormous and was capable of shoving people aside pretty efficiently._ Yeah_, Sokka reasoned, _it's probably that_.

It was pretty ironic how things worked out. On _his_ thirteenth birthday, Sokka had been treated to a meager dinner of stewed sea prunes. Katara had given him a new pair of socks she had made herself, and he had groaned, muttering about how he wished he could've gotten a huge celebration. That was before the war, and he had wanted so many things. He had wanted to fight, wanted to train, wanted to be the warrior everybody relied on. He at least wanted to go ice-dodging with his father.

On _Toph's_ thirteenth birthday, she had been mobbed by rich people and treated to all the fattening gourmet food she wanted. She hated it, hated her father and mother and wanted to get out of there. It was Sokka's paradise; it was Toph's living nightmare. And she was blind, seeing only black while greens and golds spun past her and noblemen shouted and queried and shot their artificial compliments at her and her father and mother were holding her in an invisible death grip, choking her until all resistance was gone and only the lifeless porcelain doll was left.

Sokka seemed to have missed something while he was absorbed in his train of thoughts, because the silence came abruptly and took him by surprise. Lao Bei Fong, with one simple gesture, had quelled the noise for a brief moment. The warrior was inwardly grateful, but his relief was short-lived when the man cleared his throat, let go of Toph's hand, and extended his arms as if trying to envelop the estate in an embrace.

"I, Master of the Bei Fong Residence, welcome you to our estate," came his voice, stately, like a king's. "In honor of my daughter's thirteenth birthday, we have the honor of housing all the young men who have come to seek her hand. We must celebrate a new year for her, celebrate the end of years of fighting, and celebrate the forging of a new alliance between the Bei Fongs and one of the most prestigious families in the Earth Kingdom."

At this, a wave of murmurs spread throughout the suitors, and Lao made no attempt to quell the conversation. Sokka had to keep himself from rolling his eyes; did the guy really expect Toph to choose one of these kiss-ups? He cast his gaze upon Toph, who was staring out straight, unflinchingly, into the crowd of suitors. Did all of them know she was blind? Did they all want her just to steal her family's fortune and estate?

He knew the answer. He just didn't want to believe it.

"From the prestigious men gathered at our estate tonight, Lady Toph Bei Fong will choose only one to be her betrothed," Lao continued. Poppy glanced at him, a sugary-sweet smile plastered onto her face, and he cleared his throat. "So, gentlemen, impress my daughter."

A suitor in front of Sokka snorted, and he could feel himself smirking. All the "impressing" these guys could pull off couldn't eclipse Toph's hatred of her imprisonment. He couldn't help but feel somewhat sorry for all the noblemen who had their hopes up, but it would be vastly entertaining to see them destroyed.

--

Sokka had successfully evaded the prying questions and complaints of the other guests and had tried to find Toph in her maze of a garden all night. It had been one hour into the festivities, and so far, he had only caught snippets of conversation that concerned her. He had grinned when he heard news of her "sweating like a pig" and being "a demon child" and other "strange occurences" that involved suitors getting mysteriously pushed into ponds. The majority of suitors, however, didn't care and were still trying to win her over because of the money that was involved.

A lucky guess had led him right to her. He grinned, rushed over as quickly as he could without tripping, and she whirled around and smiled.

Toph tried to restrain her excitement at seeing Sokka again. It was all she could do to keep herself from flinging herself at the teenager and pleading him to take her away from here. Of course, that wasn't possible, but feeling familiar vibrations was a small comfort in the stupidity of the world.

"Oh, welcome to our estate!" Toph replied in a strikingly fancy manner, just imagining the bemused expression on Sokka's face and trying not to laugh because of it. "You must be _The Earth King's nephew_! I've waited so long to meet you!"

She put every ounce of flamboyance into those words, so it came as a surprise when Sokka hesitated for a minute. Did he forget he was supposed to respond? Instead, he cleared his throat and leaned slightly forwards.

"Wait- but um, Toph, didn't I, uh, 'meet you on your travels'?" Sokka murmured, eyebrows raised. Toph's eyes widened; she had forgotten that little excuse she had made up when the guards wouldn't let him in.

"Yes, I meant meet you _again_," she corrected herself, a strange smile on her face. "Why don't we go somewhere? The old oak tree, perhaps? It's very relaxing there."

"Don't you need assistance? I mean, you're blind and all." He glanced around the walkway, trying to spot any other suitors. It seemed as if they were isolated save for a few chaperones hanging around and making idle chat. Sokka nodded and looked back at Toph, who was a little bit irritated but compliant nonetheless.

"Of course. You're so thoughtful," came the emotionless reponse, and Sokka found himself wondering exactly what to do. During their travels, Toph had usually clung on to a companion's arm if she couldn't "see" and depended on them to guide her. But he imagined what the noblemen would say if they saw Lady Bei Fong clinging on to the arm of the Earth King's nephew, and he shuddered to think of the repercussions that could have on her.

Instead, he took her hand. She hesitated for a moment, then her fingers relaxed and held onto his. He led her along the narrow path lined by tall bushes, walked past the suitors that were eyeing him with envy, and walked straight ahead, green shoes tapping on the paved walkway. Toph followed along blindly, knowing that she was perfectly capable of finding the tree on her own, but let herself be dragged like a limp doll for the sake of pretending.

The old oak seemed like the only place that was really secluded. If any suitors had thought to follow them here, Sokka saw no signs of them. It was dark here; the lanterns hadn't been lit, and it was perfectly dark in the back of the estate. The old oak tree was the closest place of interest to the gate, and they were both relatively sure that they were alone. Moon-crickets chirped, and the loud noise of the ball had receded into a low hum as the two cut through the grass, wormed their way through the shrubbery, and slumped down together at the base of the tree.

"Well," Sokka murmured, letting go of Toph's hand and rubbing his temples, wincing. "That was a... _loud _sort of thing."

"I'll say." Toph leaned against the bark of the tree, eyes closing in exhaustion. "I never want to do this again."

"Yeah." He peered behind the tree, trying to survey the area. "Feel any nobleman-ly vibrations?"

"Nope. They're all in the center of the garden or eating." She groaned and kicked off the fancy slippers that pinched her toes. "This is the worst form of torture my parents can put me through. No, second only to marrying me off." She fixed her blind stare on Sokka, who had relaxed for the moment and was leaning against the oak tree alongside her. "Anything interesting going on?"

"Yeah. I've heard about the things you did to some of the suitors." He sighed and glanced at the white walls of the estate, glaring and looming over them as if saying they could never get out. "The Tai Pang fiasco was the best I've heard so far."

Toph laughed a weak little laugh, exhaustion riddling her voice. "I'll say. That was gold." She wriggled her bare feet, sighing. "I'll have to get back to the center of the garden once the dancing starts. Right now, they're supposed to be watching the traveling circus, and I don't even care."

"I know. They're probably wondering where we are." Sokka threw his hat to the ground and slumped to the floor. "And to think that this is the kind of life your parents wanted you to have."

"It would be the best life for a lady. Problem is, I'm not one of those prissy, stuck-up dolls."

"Well, you could've fooled me tonight," he stated matter-of-factly, and Toph scowled and punched him in the shoulder.

"Take that back or I'll Earthbend you into oblivion."

"But you hit me, the Earth Kingdom's nephew! I could tell my uncle to execute you!" He retorted weakly, and the girl laughed halfheartedly.

"Sure, Sokka. Try that."

A peaceful silence washed over the two of them. In the distance, music was playing and life was going on. Between the two of them, there was just a quiet, lulling serenity. The calm before the storm.

"I got your escape present with me," Sokka stated quietly. Toph just nodded mutely, eyes shut with exhaustion. "You can bend it. That's all the clues you're getting."

"Don't give it to me now," she murmured, the tiredness creeping into her voice and making Sokka want to fall asleep too. "Give it to me when we're free."

"Yeah... " he leaned back, watching the sky. Stars dotted the night. "We'll go to the North Pole, and then we'll go everywhere. Maybe even take you to the South Pole."

"Maybe go find Suki," Toph mumbled, and Sokka nodded, a faint sort of melancholy in the gesture. They lay like that for a minute more before the girl sighed, her eyes fluttered open, and she gathered her shoes again, forcing them onto her feet.

"Gotta go, I guess. We've been here long enough. People'll get suspicious."

"Guess I need to come with you." He grunted, stretched, and picked the hat up off the ground, fixing it up on his head in a prim fashion. "Look alright to you?"

"Ha, ha, very funny," came the retort, accompanied by another light punch to the shoulder. He grinned slightly, despite the faint pain, and followed her out of the shrubbery, past the grass, and back onto the walkway.

Under all the layers of silk and makeup and finery, she was still good old Toph inside.

--

Toph had run off before him, stating that it was more important for her to be there early, and had left him alone on the walkway. He decided to take his time on the way back to the center of the garden, since she had told him that the dancing was going to take place there. They had been by the oak tree for about ten minutes; the traveling circus should've been done by now. He sighed and dragged his feet along, exhaustion sapping his energy though it had only been about two hours after the ball started.

As he approached the center of the courtyard, the sounds that he had yearned to get away from came flooding back into his ears again. The swell of instruments made his head hurt as he pushed his way through a circle of guests and suitors, trying to get a closer look. The people had formed a circle around what seemed to be an area for dancing, and he caught a glimpse of Toph in the center, a blank expression on her face. Behind her, Poppy and Lao Bei Fong were mingling with the chaperones, socializing with the suitors, and ignoring their daughter completely.

Finally, the music stopped momentarily, and Lao smiled and took Toph's shoulders. He nodded, and the buzz that had circulated amongst the guests immediately gave way to silence. He cleared his throat, scanned the throng of noblement, and asked, "Who would like to dance with my daughter first?"

A murmur went through the group. For one, Lady Bei Fong had established a very questionable reputation tonight. To make things even more ridiculous, she was blind- how was she supposed to _dance_? The hesitation seemed to make Lao nervous, and his hold on Toph tightened so much that Sokka was sure she was suffering. Gathering up all his courage, he gulped and raised his hand.

"If you don't mind, Master Bei Fong, I'll be happy to dance with your daughter."

Toph's eyebrows raised slightly, but her parents nodded, brimming to the top with enthusiasm. The suitors in front of him cleared the way, and he stepped through tentatively, all pairs of eyes fixed on him. He bit his lip as the people among him murmured, and as he approached the middle of the circle and stepped in front of Toph, he realized just how idiotic he had been to volunteer instead of seeing what the other suitors did first.

He bowed; she curtsied. "May I have this dance?" He queried hesitantly, sure that it was the wrong thing to say. But Toph immediately relaxed, shot him a look of approval, and took his hand.

How Sokka wished that the dance itself could've gone as well as the precursor. By the first count, he had already stumbled over Toph's toes and was practically tripping across the pavement. Lao and Poppy tried to keep neutral expressions on their faces, the chaperones clucked and shook their heads, and the suitors murmured and snorted in amusement. Sokka gulped and tried to follow Toph's lead; Toph evidently got confused and tried to follow his. The pair wove close together, then moved far apart, and then tripped over each other. The only move they seemed to have no trouble accomplishing was the spin, where Sokka just stood there as he twirled Toph around. They repeated that several times in an attempt to atone for their past mistakes.

When at last, the music came to an end and Sokka had crushed Toph's toes for the umpteenth time, she merely shot a sly look at him, curtsied, and said a "Thank you for the dance" before excusing the bemused Earth King's nephew and recieving another suitor. The gentlemen seemed to be sure that anything they did wouldn't have been worse than what they had just seen, and they were lining up to flaunt their abilities as soon as Sokka left the circle. He took a deep breath, receded into the crowd, and watched as Toph and a suitor named Zhi danced perfectly until the guy somehow tripped, landed on the floor at the girl's feet, then huffed and left the circle impeteously.

As the dancing continued, it was soon evident that Sokka was far from the worst dancer at the ball. The suitors tripped, flew across the pavement, whirled into a shrub, wound up almost crashing into Toph, flung themselves to the floor, and ran into several unfortunate guests. An ignorant spectator would guess that all the suitors were completely incompetent, but Sokka knew that it was the lady, not the gentlemen. She was doing this for his sake and hers; to prove that one, Sokka was _not_ completely inept at dancing compared to most noblemen, and two, dancing with undesired people was annoying unless some pain was inflicted.

When at last, Lao and Poppy had stood up and dismissed the guests with nervous smiles, Sokka realized that the ball was all but over. Only Toph's decision remained, and he knew that it was now or never. The escape present was heavy in his mind, the taste of freedom on his tongue. _Let's do this,_ he thought, glancing over at the Earthbender standing by her parents. _Let's get outta here. Now._

As if she had read his mind, the Earthbender sent a discreet nod in his direction, and gave a subtle tug on her father's sleeve. Lao looked down at the girl, who nodded and turned to Sokka, pointing a slim finger in his direction.

"Nice choice," Sokka thought, and sent a grin her way. A hint of a smile played at the girl's lips as she murmured a few more words to Lao, who exchanged some mumbles with Poppy. The three stood like that for a second, and Toph appeared to be extremely adamant about her choice for a husband, enthusiasm coating every word and gesture Sokka caught from their conversation. The Water Tribe boy watched the three converse, bemused and certain that her parents would've been ecstatic about the news instead of standing there, stock-still and silent. When Lao finally looked in his direction, Sokka tried his best to stand up tall, act regal, and pretend that he hadn't heard anything at all.

"Well, then." The master of the Bei Fong estate mused quite audibly, and strode over in his direction. Sokka glanced up then, trying to look cool and collected, when his brain was a mess and all his carefully planned words had flown out of his memory.

"My daughter has chosen you for a husband," he remarked when he had stopped a few inches away from him, studying the boy as Poppy and Toph hung a few paces back. "You should count yourself fortunate. She's unlike any other, isn't she?"

"Of course she isn't... I mean, like any other," Sokka attempted, choosing his words carefully and enunciating them like he was relishing some rich pastry. "She's more lovely than any other lady in Ba Sing Se."

"I see," came the neutral remark. Lao Bei Fong was eyeing Sokka's robes with a keen eye, either showing disdain or interest for it. Poppy clutched Toph's hand in a death grip behind him, and if Sokka had been more focused on the Earthbender at that moment, he would've caught the tinge of red that burned faintly under the white of her face.

"You say that you reside in Ba Sing Se?" The man inquired then, jade eyes penetrating Sokka's. He tried to keep calm, nodding curtly and standing up as straight as possible.

"Yes, Master Bei Fong. I have the honor to be attending your ball as Kuei the Twenty-Seventh, the Earth King's nephew." His voice shook as he pronounced each word, and at this, Lao's mouth started twitching into a grin, Poppy glowed and squeezed Toph's hand even harder, and Toph sent a small smile Sokka's way. A _good work, Snoozles_ smile.

"The Earth King knows about this, then? He's really your uncle?" Lao pressed, his eyes widening with surpressed awe. Poppy looked absolutely giddy with hapiness, and Toph, who had now only realized how hard her mother was clenching her hand, bit her lip in pain.

"Well, yes. And I must tell you, your daughter is positively radiant," he laughed nervously, hoping a full moon wasn't out. "I am honored that she would choose me to be her husband."

"And we are honored that you arrived!" Poppy half-shrieked, which drove Lao to send a glance back at his wife. Toph just smiled at her father, watching with the most enjoyment as she had all night. "He's a true gentleman," she enthused, which seemed to put the icing on the cake.

Poppy's crimson-painted lips curled into a small smile, and she motioned Lao to keep on going, not to scare the prominent suitor away, and whatever else could be communicated through a hurried gesture. He turned back to Sokka, then, who had started slouching with the excitement of the evening.

"Yes, so if you are inclined to accept, we are prepared to offer you our daughter's hand in marriage," he beamed, the nobility dripping off of his voice. "The Bei Fong inheritance will be yours and hers to control."

"I understand that, and under the circumstances, I believe that I am wholeheartedly inclined to accept," he guessed, knowing that either he was blurting out nonsense or being very eloquent with his choice of vocabulary. It seemed to be the latter, as Toph's face broke into a small grin, Poppy gasped somewhat audibly, and Lao Bei Fong, trying not to look too swayed, nodded hurriedly and smiled.

"Congragulations, then, for being chosen by my daughter. It's pleasant to meet you, Kuei, I know that it must have been a long journey, but rest assured-" the man stopped when he saw Sokka's extended hand, trembling with the excitement of the suceeded plan, hovering in front of him. Toph's eyes widened, Poppy's mouth narrowed into a straight line, and Lao started to put two and two together.

_Blue eyes_. The pride and excitement etched in them quickly turned to a look of hardly surpressed panic.

_Brown hair_. It hung like a mop under that ridiculous hat, matted with sweat. A few strands were glued against his forehead, and his mustache hung lopsidedly, as if it were about to fall off-

Dark skin. Ill-fitting robes. No royal procession. Hand-shaking.

"Is something the matter?" The boy in front of him pressed courageously, and the master of the Bei Fong Estate heard the truth of it all etched in his words, the words that fell like the lies of a commoner.

The boy. The Water Tribe boy.

As realization flashed through Lao's eyes, Sokka saw the devastation wrought in Toph's face and felt his heart sink.

"You blew it, Sokka," he realized, the silence hitting him harder than anything.

_You blew it_.

* * *

_**Author's Note:** I am not good at cliffhangers. Not good at all. And I'm probably going to get a pretty bad reception for how I left this one off..._

_But it'll turn out alright. Right...?_

_Okay, so you've noticed that a huge chunk of this chapter has been devoted to Toph and Sokka's antics. Well, I'll put it this way. I wasn't originally going to do this, but I think I'm going to divide the three or four parts of this story into arcs. Part One, which mainly revolved around Katara and Aang, was pretty much their story arc. Part Two, which focuses mainly on the Gaoling escape attempt, is Toph and Sokka's story arc. And Part Three, which will be the most fun to read and write, will focus on Mai, Zuko, Azula, Iroh, and Ty Lee. Fun, fun, fun. And lots of work for me to do!_

_As for chapter updates, I'm sorry for not updating sooner. As you can see from the length of this chapter, I had to go back and shorten, revise, etc, because this was going over 8,000 words! Couple that with my procrastination and you've got a bad case of "not-updatinginitis" or whatever you'd like to call an author's bad habit of slacking off. In any case, though, I have Part Two roughly planned out in my head, and thanks so much to Davis 51 for looking over this (and the entire story!). Beta readers are awesome, and so are all you reviewers! I haven't had a chance to address you all yet, but I'm planning to thank you all by the end of the story._

_And to all you reviewers who contributed "suitors" for Toph to mingle with, you guys rock! I had fun writing your characters in!_

**In the Next Chapter:** What will become of Sokka and Toph when their plan is discovered and put an end to? Katara's still hesitant about her role in Aang's recovery, and seeks a wise old acquaintance to help. In the meantime, Zuko makes his way to the Earth Kingdom and discovers a mysterious plot, while Ty Lee and Mai, knowing that their loyalties need to be confirmed, join the rebellion and get drawn into a web of lies. However, is Iroh is more than the oblivious figurehead Azula makes him out to be?


	19. The Burden of Truth

**Part Two:** Spring

**Chapter Nine:** The Burden of Truth

* * *

_The letter was tied with a sliver of red_

_Crimson against the parchment's dull gleam_

_And sent through the the sky, the messenger wheeling_

_The burden of truth carried on his wings._

* * *

The next few moments passed in a blur. Toph felt all the adrenaline, all the power, all the invincibility drain away until only a faint compliance was left. She didn't fight back when her mother took her arm and led her away. To where, she didn't know or care, just knew that Sokka would come, Sokka would find a way out, Sokka would _stay_.

Sokka himself begged to differ. He stood, mute and ashen-faced, knowing that he truly had blew it. To what extent, he wasn't sure, but by the time Lao announced the end of the night to the other suitors with an artificial smile, he knew that this mistake wouldn't be forgotten.

--

"You're not supposed to be here."

She stood there, hands holding up the weight of the window. He looked at her forlornly, the expression in his eyes saying everything he couldn't.

"You're supposed to be gone, aren't you?" She whispered, the breeze pushing its way through the open window and into the room. "We failed, and-"

"Let me inside," he pressed, and she relented without a word, moving aside to allow his entry. His feet landed against the floor of the room soundlessly, as if one noise would jeopardize his life. She didn't bother to shut the window, just stood there, a flicker of sorrow in her expression.

The sixteen-year-old, clothed in his plain robes of blue, took her silence as a signal to speak.

"It's all my fault," he stated firmly. "It's my fault."

"It is," she stated, the words falling with the heaviness of stone. "But we tried, didn't we? And we had a heck of a time doing it." She allowed a small laugh to escape the faint crimson of her lips, although the situation hardly called for happiness.

"I should've remembered your advice. I put everything at stake with this one try, and I blew it." He circled the room, footsteps falling quietly. "And we were so close, and I could've... we could've..."

He stopped, fixing his gaze onto the thirteen-year-old who stood soundlessly by the window. "We still can."

"Still can what?" She whispered, and a deranged smile spread across his face until he looked more crazy than apologetic.

"We still have a chance at freedom. We can sneak away right now." His voice rose until it was more of a hiss than a murmur. "We can do it. Let's get out of here while we have the time!"

"You can. I can't," was the quiet, firm reply. He felt his heart fall as he saw the acceptance written in her face, etched into every nuance of the Earthbender. She was going to be a lady. She knew she was, and didn't want to fight it.

He couldn't let this happen to her, couldn't let this life take her away.

"You can," he stated, trying to keep the pleading out of his voice. "Toph, you can't stay here. You hate this life. It's not right."

"This was what was meant for me from the day I was born," she muttered. "It's wrong to fight it. Look what's happened to us."

"It's my fault, and my fault only. You want this freedom, so let's go before they kick me out!"

"And what?" Her voice rose too, matching his tone. "Leave my parents like this? They'd be disgraced for eternity if their daughter ran off after being presented to all these people. And the Bei Fong inheritance would be left to a man I hardly know, a man I don't even want to know." Her desperation was wrought in her words, the anger and intolerance and confusion flooding her mind until she couldn't contain her emotions in just whispers. "Don't you get it, Sokka? There's no way out! I can't just run away from the life I was raised in!"

"And where would we have been if you hadn't run away? What if you hadn't become the Blind Bandit? What if you just stayed here all your life and became that lady your parents are so desperate to have?" By this time, Sokka was livid, the frustration welling up until he felt the desire to just take Toph and run. "For all we know, the Fire Nation could've been ruling the entire world! Without your help, we could've all been dead!"

"Even if the Fire Nation did take over the world, I'd still be here, wouldn't I? Maybe, if I hadn't been hooked on that taste of freedom, I could've grown to love this life." She flung herself to the bed in a surprising show of emotion, burying herself in the creases and folds of fabric until the world seemed to fade away. "That's not who I am now, is it? I'm the greatest Earthbender in the world, and even I can't escape what my parents want."

"Let's give it one last go, then," he tried, then, the anger draining away as the girl lay, motionless, enveloped in the emerald of her bedsheets. "If you don't want to run away, face your parents again. Tell them that this life isn't for you, and if they don't accept it..." He sat on the bed, a firm resolve blazing in his eyes. "If they don't accept it, why bother trying to please them?"

"Because they're my parents," she muttered, her voice muted against the fabric. Even she knew that it was a weak argument, and said nothing after that, accepting the silence that followed.

He reached into the bag he brought with him, extracting the escape present. It glimmered in the light, a quiet sort of solace.

"Alright, so we failed. Not part of the master plan. But I can still give you the present, right?"

Her head rose from the bedsheets, the makeup all but ruined and her hair falling across her shoulders in disarray. "There's no need to add insult to injury, Snoozles. What's the use of an escape present if there's no use trying to run away?"

"Because," he pressed, the crystal of the present heavy in his hand. "It's still your birthday, right?"

She slipped off the bed and approached him warily, as if he held a weapon rather than a gift. "I thought I already told you. There's no point in celebrating."

"Still. For good luck, maybe. And if we really don't get to escape, it's something to remind you of freedom."

He extended his hand and she took it from his palm gingerly, pale fingers curling around the small sculpture.

"You told me that I could 'bend it," she stated, wondering how she had managed to remember that. The Earthbender ran a finger along the surface, noting its smoothness. "Let me see. It's not stone, and it's definitely not-"

"It's crystal," he broke in, watching her face carefully. It was blank, not full of euphoria. "It's a crystal Badgermole. I thought you'd like it, being an Earthbender and all."

"Oh," Toph remarked absentmindedly, trying to hide the desolation still tinting her voice. She turned the Badgermole over in her hands again before sitting on the bed besides him.

"Do you like it?"

"It's neat," she attempted.

"'Neat' works," Sokka replied offhandedly, and she shrugged halfheartedly in response.

There was a small silence for a moment. He had expected so much more out of her; then again, he was supposed to give the escape present to her once they were free. Toph was still very much imprisoned.

"Sokka?" Toph asked, breaking the silence. He addressed her with a small nod, then remembered she couldn't see it, and responded with a quiet "Hm?"

"I think I'm gonna face my parents again," she stated before she had a moment to think, tracing indescript patterns on the cool crystal of the sculpture with a finger. "I feel like I need to know if they're still going to put their happiness over mine."

"You really think that'll work? After all this, I mean..."

His voice trailed off, not daring to elaborate further. She nodded; she understood.

"I don't know. But like you said: if they don't understand me at all, why should I bother trying to please them?"

He nodded. Then, on impulse, he reached over and lay a hand on her shoulder. She didn't attempt to move it away, just let him keep it there.

"We did pretty well, though," Sokka mused into the momentary lull. "I'm kinda surprised I managed to stay around this long."

"They probably thought the we were too stupid to pull something like this off," she offered halfheartedly, managing a bleak smile and knowing that it was the truth.

"But I'll still hang around as long as I can, you know."

"Yeah, that's a given."

"And I'll come with you to face your parents. Just in case."

"You really think I'll need that much help?"

"You need all the help you can get."

She stiffened at this, and Sokka let his hand fall from her shoulder to the bed, thinking her reaction was because of this. She didn't acknowledge it, but it felt different. Lonely. At that moment, she realized that a life without him- without Katara, Aang, Appa, everybody- would feel just like this.

She couldn't feel these things once and have them ripped away the next day. She couldn't live a year with people who loved her, genuinely loved her, and have them torn away the next.

"You don't have to come, you know," she added softly as an afterthought. What was the use of having Sokka there if she knew that leaving wasn't her destiny anyways? For some reason, it felt like she owed something to the Water Tribe adolescent, even though it was he who had gotten them into this mess. It was hard to face reason when emotions clouded her mind. Confusing and unusual, but at times euphoric and wild emotions. Freedom and the feeling of being truly cared about- the feelings that came with her friends. Sokka didn't deserve being placed before her parents again, being judged again. She told herself that she would spare him this, as a last act of friendship, when all she wanted was for it to be otherwise. The truth was, she needed him there. She needed his hand on her shoulder and him telling her that he would hang around as long as he could. They'd defy her parents. Everybody. Run away together.

But Toph knew her parents, knew how much they loved her. Part of her loved them too, for who they were. Mother, who had guided her and protected her from the pain of the world. Father, who had always been the confident one, the protector. And yet, one look at Sokka would make her parents keep her in their house forever. She knew she had no choice but to let him go and face them on her own.

Face the problem head-on, like an Earthbender, she realized. A flicker of a smile danced across her lips, then disappeared when she realized that Toph the Earthbender, Toph the greatest, was no more.

"Get some rest," Sokka finally suggested, interrupting Toph's thoughts. "It's been a long night."

"No kidding, right?" was the quiet, uncharacteristic response. He glanced at her in silent worry, then built his composure back up and headed outside.

She didn't turn when he walked to the window, wrenched it open, and left. Didn't turn and offer a farewell. For all she knew, this could be the last time she saw him again, but she had no desire to make the possibility real by cementing it in one word.

_Goodbye_.

She turned the crystal badgermole over in her hands and collapsed onto the silk of her bed. The night had been long, the suitors had been annoying, her destiny had been determined. A good night's sleep seemed like the only pleasant thing that would come out of her exhaustion.

As she burrowed herself into the warmth of the blankets and let sleep overtake her, Toph clutched the crystal Badgermole, rough crystal digging against the pale of her fingers, until her knuckles turned white.

--

Sokka had spent the night awake. His eyes burned, and his eyelids were heavy with denied sleep. His mind was shutting down on itself.

The night cast strange shadows against the walls of the barn, but he had lost the will to even care. He had spent the majority of the night packing and unpacking, wondering if there were still enough time to sneak Toph away. Sokka thought about the guards, then, and cast the thought aside.

He slouched back onto the moldy hay that had been his bed and Appa's food source for the past two months. Looking back, he realized how ridiculous their plan had been. What had he been thinking? Imagining that the two most influential people in Gaoling couldn't see past the disguise, no matter how many times he lied to himself and thought it would work?

He just had to drag Toph back into the life she had tried so hard to escape. And now that she was here, he had to cement her future by meddling with rich people and failing to maintain her freedom, failing to keep Toph the Earthbender alive.

And he remembered the Toph in his dream. Lady Bei Fong. The most brilliant bender in the world lost under layers of silk and makeup and lies.

Is this what she believed her destiny was?

All at once, the enormity of his failure crashed down on him, and he just lay there, frozen. There there was no way out. He had not only crushed all hope of escape, but had also crushed Toph's will to leave. She thought that there was no hope now that the idea guy's plan had failed, when the truth, he was no idea guy, or genius, or anything worth looking up to. He was a peasant. Back then, when the war had engulfed their lives, he had only crossed his fingers and relied on pure power to get them through ordeals. Now, when they weren't even in real danger, he had failed.

Somehow, though, all this hadn't taken his mind off of the eerie quiet that enveloped the Bei Fong estate. He knew that it was foolish to slip outside again though, despite the deceiving silence that permeated the air. His prior visit to Toph had only been achieved with pure luck. The guards had all been preoccupied with making sure that all the suitors got to their respective rooms, so it had been easy to sneak to her. Now, though, he knew that there were too many guards around to risk leaving the barn.

The suitors had probably all been accounted for and sent to bed; maybe that was the reason for the abrupt calm. Sokka knew that it was supposed to be considerably quieter now that everybody was gone. Still, it felt like all the noise had been suppressed unnaturally. Quickening shadows darted across the wall of the barn, but he couldn't find the source, even when he made an effort. It was probably a trick of the eyes, not surprising due to his current state. Despite all that, he would've given tons to have Toph's skill in sensing things.

Sokka closed his eyes and grasped for sleep. Again, guilt made him wrench them open, despite the stinging that accompanied it. There was nothing to do but stare up at the ceiling of the barn and hope that everything would work itself out. Toph would talk to her parents, and they'd let her go. And they'd fly far, far away from here, to the North Pole, maybe even to Kyoshi Island to see if a certain person was there. Aang would get well, and Katara would smile again. She'd laugh one of those musical laughs and make jokes, and Aang would make those sickeningly-sweet eyes at her, and they'd all laugh, they'd all laugh-

The stable door creaked open, and Sokka's head darted up at the sound. It was late at night, so whoever was visiting probably needed something urgent from him. Instinctively, he realized that they were probably sending him away now, at midnight, when he wouldn't have the strength to retaliate and Toph would be unaware of his departure. A jarring pain flooded his mind: the realization that they really had run out of time.

Barely audible footsteps fell onto the stable floor, and losing heart immediately, Sokka surrendered all hope of saving Toph and stepped off of his makeshift bed.

"I've already packed my things," he stated resolutely, trying not to let the guilt tinge his voice. Whoever had entered the stable didn't reply, but stood there, features indescript, in the shadow of the barn. The person had no lantern, no source of light. The moonlight didn't seem to find the visitor's face, but Sokka was about certain that the intruder was a man.

The sixteen-year-old, who was too weary to do much rational thinking, didn't have the heart to identify the visitor. All he wanted to do was leave, even if it meant departing alone.

"I'll just go now, alright?" He attempted. "You want me to leave. That's why you're here."

"We have no intention of letting you escape," came the amused reply, and Sokka, sensing instinctively that this wasn't going according to plan, felt for his boomeraang. It wasn't in its regular place but gone, packed with the rest of his belongings and out of reach for the time being. He swallowed then, choosing to find a little bit more out before jumping to conclusions.

"I had no idea the Bei Fongs would let me off the hook so easily," he laughed halfheartedly, trying to put a bit of bravado into his words but failing miserably. Better let this person think he was some sort of incompetent oaf. "So I get to stay, right? That's nice of them."

"Just stay silent," came the ambiguous reply. "If all goes according to plan, you'll be able to ask them yourself."

Despite the situation, the sixteen-year-old felt somewhat amused. Who did this guy think he was? Sure, he heard that the occasional thief broke into the Bei Fong estate from time to time, but were usually stopped by the guards before they even got to the manor itself. And if they did reach the house, they'd be pulverized by a certain Earthbender, no doubt. He relaxed, then, knowing that the estate was secure.

"So what is this, then?" the teenager retaliated with a raised eyebrow. Some confidence was returning to him. "Some sort of robbery, or kidnapping? Trust me, you're not gonna get very far."

Silence. He didn't venture any further, remembering that the man could be capable of bending. Sokka had nothing to arm himself with, and even if he did, he knew any efforts at self-defense would be futile in the dark. Still, a barrier separated him from the intruder- Appa's bulky form- so there was no immediate threat.

The shadows darted across the barn wall at an ever-increasing rate, and although the warrior knew better than to keep his eyes off of the intruder, he knew there was a high chance that more men had slipped in through the window. Still others might have fanned out across the barn when the intruder had entered, hiding in the shadows of the huge building long enough to figure out where to strike.

"Secure the perimeter," came the barely audible mutter. Sokka risked a look back, and knew it was a fatal mistake.

The walls of the barn were lined with soldiers.

The men, half-hidden in the darkness of the barn, held their hands up in a fighting stance. Sokka turned back around, and realized that not only was he severly outnumbered, he was defenseless, weaponless, and weak.

"Don't hurt him," came the quiet command. "He's got the Avatar's sky bison with him. He could be valuable."

Sokka said nothing, just kept his feet on the floor. They could do nothing to him if he didn't prove to be a threat first. Inching towards Appa, he didn't stop until he felt the warmth of the bison's white fur against his back. His boomerang and sword were attached to the saddle; if he could jump up there in time and manage to grab his bag...

It was no use, really. The soldiers would not hesitate to attack him once he made an effort at self-defense.

"Won't the Resistance be pleased?" The man who had addressed Sokka earlier laughed, surveying the group that had flanked the walls of the barn. "Two of the Avatar's companions and the Bei Fong family in one night."

Sokka just had to hope for the best and plan for the worst. The men looked formidable, but also vaguely familiar. Their hands were positioned in a style that Sokka knew was a stance for Earthbenders, and knowing what power his opponents held, he could think to do nothing else but surrender.

But first.

"What are you planning to do?" He attempted bitterly but resolutely, knowing that he was taking his chances. Nobody replied, but the atmosphere seemed to tighten. The warrior looked from one wall to the other, with the knowledge that this was no ordinary break-in.

He risked a glance at Appa, and saw to his relief that the sky bison was awake, eyes half-open and growling warily at the intruders. Yet, none of the men seemed to be particularly fazed. Though none of them had probably ever fought a two-ton flying bison before, Sokka knew that with the number of Earthbenders in the barn, an animal and a weaponless warrior stood no chance.

"Relax," the man continued with a hint of amusement. "We won't harm you now. Rather, we'll negotiate. Make a bargain."

"Bargain?" Sokka glanced at the soldiers that wouldn't hesitate to strike at a moment's notice, and raised an eyebrow. "What kind?"

"We'll spare your life..."

Sokka considered the possibility.

"...If you bring the Bei Fong girl to us."

Sokka felt his chest tighten in anxiety, and a hand clenched into a fist. He knew his life in exchange for Toph's was an unfair exchange, and an idiotic one at that. Although Toph would probably be able to hold her own against at least half of the intruders, Sokka knew that it was foolish to risk it.

"And if I refuse?" He challenged before he had a chance to bite his words back. A ripple of amusement seemed to spread throughout the line of soldiers, and their leader smirked.

"Then we have no need for you."

Without warning, the earth shattered underneath Sokka's feet. His knees buckled, bringing him to the hard, dirt floor. Appa thrashed in fear, sending heavy vibrations throughout the barn and making the warrior lose his balance.

The men that surrounded them seemed to be unaffected, and hurtled chunks of hard earth at him. The projectiles caught him, pinning him to the ground.

Sokka winced as the rough gravel bit into his skin.

He glanced at what was holding him down, and a wave of startling recognition swept over him. Earthen hands pinned his hands and knees to the floor, gripping him and holding him motionless. The others were doing the same to Appa, encasing the sky bison's feet by jutting the earth out of the ground. They were both trapped.

_They're going for the others next_, Sokka realized, and immediately recognized that the situation was critical.

"Why are you here?" He demanded, trying to escape his bonds. "Why are you doing this?"

"We simply desired your cooperation," came the cool reply. Appa growled, trying to break out of the jagged earth carving into his fur, and Sokka glanced worriedly at the flying bison. If Appa was injured, there was no hope for escape even after he got Toph out of danger. It seemed like the intruders had already knocked all of the guards out, explaining why nobody came rushing in to check. The barn was on the outskirts of the sprawling estate, anyways- who would notice? Who would_ care_?

Sokka was wishing more than ever that he wouldn't have been so headstrong. It wasn't painful as much as it was humiliating, but he knew that the worst was probably about to come. He had no way to warn the Bei Fongs, either. If all the noise from the Earthbending hadn't alerted them already, he doubted that yelling would have an effect.

Before he had a chance to try, though, the ground he lay on started to sink. Both the sky bison and the Water Tribe boy were brought underground, being brought into the deep crevices of the earth under the barn. A few men jumped in after them, no doubt ordered to watch them. Sokka understood, now- they were being held ransom.

Nobody would come to save them. This, he was sure of.

As the ground above began to close over them, he glimpsed once at the man who had addressed him, who had now walked over to the area Sokka had originally been standing on. His features, now illuminated by the moonlight, were strikingly familiar. Before the darkness encased him, Sokka recognized the face, the uniform, the bending style.

His eyes widened for a split-second, and then all he saw was a jarring dark. The smallest crack of light shone up ahead, the only source of air available from underground. Although he could barely see anything, the man's face, his smirk, the emerald hat fixated on his head, possibly all their heads... it was still all clear in his mind.

A wave of fury and fear overtook him in the darkness. The Bei Fong estate was being ambushed by the Dai Li.

* * *

"And the, uh, prisoner? What if she escapes and tries to Firebend at me?"

"Ah, you don't have to worry 'bout that." The man chuckled to himself, putting a beefy hand on the other's shoulder. "The higher-ups give 'er bendin' serum every other day. Takes 'er Firebendin' away pretty easy, and keeps 'er weak." He snapped his fingers to prove his point. "'Course, the days they don't take 'er bending away, they feed 'er this whole... chi-blockin' thing. You know, block the chi, block the bendin', keep 'er subdued. It's not as 'ffective, but it works."

"So why not take her bending away every single day?" The new guard ventured. Tall, scrawny, and lanky, he was like a walking stick.

"Bending serum's expensive. 'Sides, they've got the Rough Rhinos to take care of, and lots of other prisoners, too. But Princess here's our top priority. Keep that in mind."

"Right. Got it." The new guard broke into a small, rather uncomfortable smile.

He's not gonna last a single shift in here, his guide guessed. Probably gonna run away once he takes his first look at the girl.

"Well," he finally stated, releasing his grip on the young man's shoulder. "You'd really think, for a former princess n' all, she'd be a tad bit deadlier. Let me tell you something. For all the time I've been here, and all the time they've been here-" He gestured to the few guards that walked the hallway. "-They've never been attacked by this one. So she's harmless, really. Don't be scared of 'er."

"Eh," the new guy responded hesitantly. "So she's not dangerous at all."

"Nope." The other man shrugged and waved him away. "Now I gotta go. Lunch break's only this short."

As the sound of the burly man's footsteps faded into the dark, the new guard bit his lip and glanced at the cell that held the prison's deadliest convict. She was rumored to have killed hundreds of men, and was said to have had a role in nearly killing the Avatar. The Avatar, master of all four elements?

The new guard was only a Firebender. He tried not to let his panic show.

"She's not dangerous at all," he consoled himself in the dim of the hallway. "She's not going to hurt me. She's not going to escape."

The princess herself begged to differ. However, she had no doubt that this new guard would _excel_ at his job.

--

"So this time, we're joining the rebellion."

The two were sitting on Mai's bed, feet dangling over the edge, the bare tips of their toes kissing the floor. Ty Lee remembered when they were children, when Azula, Ty Lee, and Mai had sprawled themselves out on the silky-smooth crimson bedsheets, laughing and gossipping and hurling pillows at each other. Azula had always waved the maids away when they came to check, then the three- well, Azula and Ty Lee, at least- had collapsed into giggles as soon as they left.

It felt like an eternity ago. When there were three and not just two.

"...Ty Lee. Are we joining or not?"

"Oh. I guess so," Ty Lee responded, trying to restrain herself and seem upbeat at the same time. Words usually flew out of her mouth. The contents of her mind emptied in the form of rushed sentences. Conversation flowed like spilled tea for her. Usually. Normally.

This time, though, she feared that she had said everything she had to keep back. Everything, in a single syllable.

Mai was observant by nature, and Ty Lee's unnatural reserve didn't go unnoticed. "Something's wrong," she remarked dryly, but a hint of instinctive concern marred her words. "Azula did something."

"No," came the unconvincing reply, and the older girl sighed. No use in pressuring Ty Lee when enough burden had been placed on her already.

"I'm not in a good mood, either, so we'll just feel sorry for ourselves together. Now that we're heading off to join a joke of a rebellion, I guess we're in the right state of mind."

Ty Lee didn't respond, eliciting a barely audible sigh from her impatient companion.

"Well, what can you expect from a bunch of noblemen? They probably think that getting a stain on a robe is a life-and-death situation," she continued, waiting for her friend to counter with the usual "but they're so cute!" or something pointless like that. Pointless, but cheerful and.. optimistic, like the Ty Lee she knew.

Mai realized that she was rambling. She never rambled.

Ty Lee knew that Mai was trying to fill the silence, and was extremely grateful. She needed some time to think of what to say, to conceal what she had been told the previous night under talk of other things. What could she bring up? Auras, shopping, the latest gossip? Suddenly, everything seemed so pointless. So stupid compared to what was real and painful.

Nothing came to mind but the ever-present _you have to tell Mai. You have to tell Mai_.

"Alright, look." Mai sighed, on the verge of extreme annoyance. "Just tell me what's wrong, and I'll go back to minding my own business."

"You're always in a bad mood," Ty Lee pointed out, trying to show her that she was as chipper as ever. "Can't we just go to the hideout now? Then we could go shopping. I've heard that the robe store got new imports. Really fancy."

"You don't sound very enthusiastic," Mai remarked, and the other girl fell silent. She knew that she wasn't trying very hard to conceal the pain in her words, but some part of her really did hope that her friend would catch on and figure everything out by herself.

But it would hurt Mai so much to know of Azula's sick, scary plan. She would try to hide it, but Ty Lee knew she would suffer inside. A dull pain rose in her heart.

"I got a royal summons this morning," Mai remarked dismissively, ignorantly, studying her fingernails with an air of hardly surpressed boredom. "I'm guessing you got one, too?"

"Oh yeah, the summons," the other girl managed, trying to hide the anxiety in her voice. "We're supposed to meet Iroh this afternoon, right? Is that what you mean?"

"Or we'll get beheaded, thrown into the prison, the list goes on," Mai deadpanned thoughtlessly. "So I'm thinking we postpone the trip to the rebellion- just until the evening. I just want to get all this idiocy over with first."

Ty Lee took comfort in this, knowing that Mai suspected nothing drastic. "That... works, I guess. Whatever makes you happy, Mai."

"I hope you don't think I enjoy any of this."

"Of course not, but you know, a little optimism is okay once in a while."

It was a pathetic retaliation, but it was the only thing Ty Lee could think of without betraying anything. Mai apparently took no notice of Ty Lee's discomfort and merely raised an eyebrow.

"We should go. I don't think we'd get on the Fire Lord's good side by being late."

"Alright. Don't want to get beheaded or anything, right?"

Mai said nothing in return, leaving Ty Lee to her thoughts. Gathering her knives, the sixteen-year-old looked strong, formidable. Mai was so deadly and precise with her knives, so powerful and accurate. Yet, Ty Lee knew that Mai was only human, even if she pretended not to be.

Even Azula wasn't immune to pain.

"Mai?" She tried quietly, testing the name on her tongue. The other girl nodded in acknowledgement, but didn't look up from the flat blades scattered on the bedspread. All were pointed, deadly. Loading her holsters impassively, Mai glanced from one set of knives to the other until the silence became unbearable.

"What?" She finally relented, catching Ty Lee's eye. She bit her lip.

"About Iroh... what do you think he wants to tell us?"

"I don't know," was the indifferent reply. "The usual. Keeping an eye on nobles and all."

"You think he'll ask about Zuko?"

This seem to catch Mai's attention. Her fingers faltered somewhat as they danced across the knife blades, but her moment of lost composure was quickly replaced with her usual monotony.

"No. I won't have an answer for him, in any case."

"He didn't send you anything? No letters, or-"

"No," came the unruffled response, and finally satisfied with her arrangement of knives, Mai concealed the holsters and wrapped the remaining ones away. Ty Lee watched with growing guilt, knowing that the possibility of one of the blades ending Zuko's life was very real.

"I'm done. Do you need anything?" Mai queried when she finished, catching Ty Lee's eye. The pink-clad girl shook her head; she had no weapons to bring. Sighing, Mai pulled herself from the bed and walked over to the door, footsteps silent against the carpeting. The other girl didn't follow, just sat there, afraid to move, afraid that a single movement would make the truth evident.

"You are coming, aren't you?" Came the inquiry from the door. Ty Lee, who had been lost in a disarray of thoughts, nodded swiftly and hopped from the bed in what she hoped to be a sign she was alright.

Before she left the room, though, Ty Lee caught a glimpse of the painting hanging on the wall. Mai and Zuko. Zuko and Mai.

The portrait of a royal couple.

Fighting back the tears that pricked at her eyes, the adolescent turned away and followed Mai outside.

* * *

The Bei Fong estate had seemingly returned to its state of quiet normality the next day. The lanterns that had been strewn across the courtyard had been taken down, the guest bedrooms had been cleaned as thoroughly as possible, and all sign of the suitors' presence had been quickly erased. The situation hadn't been made public; as far as everybody was concerned, the young Bei Fong girl had chosen a fiance from the suitors and done away with everybody else without fanfare. Lao and Poppy had sent the noblemen away unceremoniously that morning, and the rest of the day had been devoted to cleaning the estate and establishing a better security system.

Toph, on the other hand, had spent the day in her room. If it had been up to her, she'd have imprisoned herself in her bedroom anyways, what with the number of people just waiting to "maintain her safety" outside. She had left the window open, half-hoping that Sokka would crawl in, but knew that it was an impossibility. She had guessed the number of guards positioned around the estate, inside and out, and even with his fighting abilities, Sokka probably wouldn't go through all that trouble just to talk to her.

She wondered if Sokka had left already, along with all the other suitors. Toph remembered the crystal badgermole, and her heart sank. She could tell that it was pretty cheap- the corners were a little jagged and chipped, and as far as she was concerned, it didn't feel like a badgermole. But it was sweet, she'd give him that. A reminder of what she used to be.

How easy it would be to just step outside that window and knock all the guards down. She managed a bitter smile, knowing that it was a sweet little fantasy of hers. She had the power to get away from here any day, and maybe that was the hardest thing to know. Yet, duty to her parents bound her to the estate.

Toph remembered that she needed to face them again. It was her only chance, her last chance, to prove that she and Sokka were in the right. She had told them time and time again, and had resorted to running away- first to the Earth Rumble tournaments, then to a whole new life- when they didn't have the will or wisdom to listen. She had only talked to them a few times, though. Maybe she could weaken their resolve with this last shot, with this last try.

She lifted her head from the silken pillow, her bedsheets damp with sweat. She had to go before they sent Sokka away. She didn't know what to say to them, but she had a chance and was intending to take it. Her feet landed on the bedroom floor before she had a chance to reconsider, and at once, her toes met a jarring vibration.

It was unlike anything she had felt near her house before. It was like the remnants of a shadow, fleeting and quick. Strong and weightless at the same time. Invisible but present. She stood there, waiting to feel that vibration and sense it origins, but it had vanished as quickly as it had came. She shrugged it off, believing that it was nothing, and walked to her bedroom door. Toph felt an acute wave of disappointment swell inside of her, wishing that it really had been something of interest. Her fingertips itched to manipulate the earth, her feet longed to feel more than the familiarity of the same boring vibrations. She reminded herself that it was within reach, if she could get her parents to see her side of the story.

The door opened a crack as she twisted the knob open. She was expecting to hear one of the maids ask if she needed an escort, but her venture into the hall was met with silence. It was a little unnerving, but she could sense nothing out of the ordinary for now. Maybe everyone was still trying to clean up around the house.

Meandering down the empty hall, she raised an eyebrow when no sounds met her ears. No vibrations, no talk, no nothing. She didn't know what to anticipate, but she knew that the quiet was unearthly. Her slippered feet moved down the hall, footsteps pattering softly on the floor. So far, it was the only sound she heard.

"Mom?" she tried loudly, testing the word against the quiet. The call went unnoticed, so she continued. The route to her parents' room was the first she had memorized, so she knew every corner she had to turn and every corridor she had to head down. She was still far from getting there, though, so Toph figured that maybe it was natural that her mother hadn't heard.

It was strange that nobody else had, though.

Her next step was met with the familiar vibrations of her father. They were heavy, regal vibrations, slowed by old age and marred with the burdens of one who knew much but said little. Toph knew that her father carried an immense weight, but maybe her leaving would alleviate it. She headed towards him resolutely, sensing him clearer as he drew close.

"Good, Toph, you're awake." Lao smiled as his daughter came into range, watching as she headed down the hallways. She trudged carefully and deliberately, her blindness seeming to mar each step. Lao didn't know that it was because of the heavy skirts Toph was wearing or the silk slippers that muffled the clarity of vibrations. As far as he was concerned, a master Earthbender was still weak. The farthest thing from invincible.

"Hi, Dad," she murmured, stopping in the hallways. She let herself lean slightly against the wall, the humidity in the air getting to her. "Where's everybody else?"

"There's been a change of plans. The suitor you chose last night was... less than adequate, so your mother and I are allowing you another choice. The young men have all left, though, so you'll have some time for the decision." Lao paused to a minute, half expecting a retaliation. None came, so he continued.

"We'll keep a steady correspondence with the suitors, don't worry. Your mother and I will take care of everything."

"So they're all gone, right?" She attempted, and suddenly, a sharp dread flooded her chest. What about Sokka? Bracing herself for an answer, she found herself leaning more and more against the wall.

"All of the suitors are gone." Lao replied matter-of-factly, a relieved satisfaction tinging his voice. "And your friend from the barn, your chaperone? We've checked for him, and he appears to have left, too."

A stony silence followed. Toph tried to keep her face unreadable, tried not to let her father know that he had won.

"You sent him away," she whispered then, almost inaudibly. "He didn't leave, you sent him-"

"-Toph, he left on his own accord, I assure you." Lao explained hurriedly, reaching for his daughter's hand. "Come on, now, your mother's been waiting to talk to you, she's right outside." Tugging at Toph's hand, Lao frowned when his daughter remained unmoving, stationary.

"Toph, you've been inside for an entire day. Some fresh air would do you some good."

Toph felt the urge to hit him, to bend at him, to attack him. To beat the truth out of him. Despite everything, though, she felt herself reach for her father, small, pale hand nestling in the warmth of Lao's calloused fingers. Toph the Lady wasn't rough and brash. Toph the Lady loved her parents, would do anything they asked.

Toph the Earthbender would have hated what she had become, but then again, Toph the Earthbender was gone. Along with freedom, along with Appa, Momo, Aang, and Katara. Along with the only guy she had really been herself around. Along with what she had really, truly loved.

Sokka was gone. Even if her parents were lying, telling her that he had just decided to leave on his own, he was still gone. There was no use arguing with that fact.

She suppressed her rage, then, masking it with a pathetic placidity as she followed her father down the corridor.

The strange silence in the household became even more evident near the middle of the estate, where servants would normally be bustling around at midday. Nobles might be congregating some days, Poppy might be holding elaborate luncheons... the center of the house was always the busiest. Today, Toph only sensed the footfalls of her and her father. Everything else had disappeared into a blank, eerie quiet.

"Where's everyone else?" She ventured, trying to keep the bitterness out of her voice. Lao, seemingly surprised that his daughter would pick up such a thing, sighed and tightened his grip on Toph's hand.

"The maids have been busy cleaning the guest rooms. As for the guards, the new ones we've hired, they've..." Lao raised an eyebrow, and glanced in the direction of the courtyard. "They're doing their job well. I haven't heard any protests from your mother so far, so they must be keeping order."

Toph bit her lip in thought and continued, trying to conceal the swirl of emotions in her chest. Her father's explanation made sense. The guest rooms were on the far side of the estate, and seemed to be contained in a separate building all on its own. It was plausible that all the maids had been sent there to tidy up after the suitors, explaining the lack of any of them wandering the other corridors. Still, it was odd that all the servants were gone as well.

"How many new guards did you hire?" She asked again. Lao scratched his head in thought.

"Around forty or so. We fired the old guards, too. They weren't doing their jobs well enough, as we've noticed." Here, Lao squeezed his daughter's hand even tighter, turning it an uncomfortable shade of white. He took no notice at her obvious discomfort, but continued, gesturing in the direction of the courtyard even though Toph didn't have the ability- or the will, if she had been born with sight- to look.

"We were going to fire them later, really. But as usual, your mother seemed to have taken matters into her own hands and shooed all of them out last night!" Lao attempted at a laugh, which Toph didn't find comforting at all. "And, to make things better, she's got all the new hires up and working today, so you might be seeing- I mean, hearing, of course- some unfamiliar people outdoors. They're the finest guards in all the Earth Kingdom- you have nothing to fear."

Unfamiliar people, Toph mused. Could that be the source of the unfamiliar vibrations she had felt earlier? She felt what was left of her hope sink, realizing that all her life would be from now on was a dull, simple safeness. The Bei Fong estate was absolutely devoid of excitement, and would remain that way forever.

They were heading towards the main entrance now, which opened up to the sprawling courtyard. As enticing as fresh air seemed to be, Toph knew that the space outside was enclosed by walls. It wasn't freedom, not the wide-open-spaces freedom she had felt before. And with Sokka gone... she swallowed once, then, erasing the young man from her mind. It would make stepping outside a little less painful, pretending that Sokka never had been real.

Wouldn't it be easier, then, to convince herself that her brief taste of freedom had all been a dream? Toph tried to tell herself this as her father opened the door and led her into the courtyard, but her first breath of the late-afternoon air was enough to make her remember everything. The lush, springy grass wet against the bare soles of her feet, the wind as Appa soared through the clear skies, the warm, laughter of her friends, the crackling embers of a fire that blazed into the night air- all gone.

Bowing her head to keep from betraying any emotions, she exhaled and took a ladylike step outside.

--

The two had strolled through the garden without much in the way of interruptions. The place was the same as it always had been- quiet, reassuring, _boring_. Nothing changed but the leaves on the trees, and even those changes were nothing unusual. The only thing out of place were the strange vibrations that sometimes danced across the earth, but Toph's silk slippers were blurring her sight anyways, and her father had mentioned the new guards...

"The courtyard's beautiful this time of year," Lao laughed, a world away, as he led her into the courtyard. "The flowers are all in bloom, and you should really see how nicely your mother's tended to the butterfly garden." He paused, remembering that his daughter couldn't quite do so, and gave a hesitant chuckle. "In any case, though, Toph, you should really-"

Lao step faltered, and Toph caught herself just in time to keep from falling.

"Careful, Dad," she admonished under her breath. Her father wasn't as strong as he had been before, but had never been so careless as to trip across his own courtyard. She held on to him, supporting his weight. "Did something happen?"

Lao didn't seem to hear. Instead of continuing onwards, though, the master of the estate stopped in his tracks, his initial bemusement slowly giving way to a slow, subtle fear.

"Dad?" his daughter pressed quickly, knowing something was wrong. All of a sudden, the jarring vibrations that she had felt in her bedroom came in multitudes, permeating the ground. She felt her free hand instinctively curl into a fist.

"Toph-" she heard Lao begin weakly, but she ignored him. Quickly testing the earth for more discernible vibrations, she scowled and bit her lip. She could feel it in the air- the uneasiness, the trepidation, the danger. Through the vibrations were scattered underneath her slippered feet, they were unusual. Maybe dangerous.

They sent adrenaline coursing through her veins, set her heart beating with excitement.

It was so hard to mute everything now, so hard to be obedient and weak. But she was a fragile little doll now, wasn't she? Wasn't it better just to let her father take care of these things? Better to be the damsel in distress for once in her life?

"Toph, it's alright," she heard her father manage weakly, drawing her closer to him. "We'll just leave now. The garden- the garden..."

"What?" she played along, wanting to know everything. "Dad, what is it?"

Lao gripped her hand so tightly that Toph had to keep from wincing in pain. "It's not safe in the garden."

"Why?" she pressed on, barely hiding her curiosity now. "You can handle it, can't you? We can handle it-"

"No, Toph," Lao whispered, words resolute and cold in the spring air, and tugged on his daughter's hand in an effort to move her away. "I need to protect you."

_Protect me. Or h__ide me. Shelter me. _

Unable to walk away from the vibrations, Toph Bei Fong stood there, something strange and resolute beating in the porcelain doll's heart. Something rebellious. Something like what she used to be.

_Is the price of freedom worth the pain of being free?_

"Leave us alone," Lao barked at whatever was threatening them. "What do you want? What do you need from us?"

Her father was in danger. They were in danger.

_Yes_, she realized suddenly.

_The price of freedom._

Ignoring the rules, ignoring her father's admonishments, she struck away from him, peeled a silk slipper away, and jammed the bare foot into the ground. And she sensed the vibrations with striking clarity, felt the six guards blocking the walkway ahead.

They were in Earthbending position, an attacking position. All of them.

"These don't happen to be the new hires, right?" She ventured carefully. Lao heard and nodded slowly, hesitation and fear etched in every nuance of his expression. Before Toph had a chance to reply, the guards simultaneously planted their right feet into the earth and thrust their fists forwards. Chunks of earth flew at them both, whizzing through the air at amazing speed.

Toph blocked them with no difficulty. Glancing over at her father, she managed to whisper a bare "Sorry" before launching a counterattack, raising her arms to eye level and bringing an earthen wall from the ground. Hurling it at the men, she waited, motionless but wary, for the attack to make contact. In a seamless movement, though, the guards drew pillars of earth from the ground, launching themselves into the skies and putting them out of Toph's line of vision.

Toph tore the rock wall down, knowing that it had missed its target.

"Toph!" Lao admonished, horror taking the place of his fear. "Toph, get back! I don't know how... I don't know-"

"Get to somewhere safe, Dad!" she managed to shout back, sensing the footfalls of the landing guards. They surrounded the two, then, circling them like predators. Lao instinctively reached for Toph's hand, but it slipped out of his grasp.

The man and his daughter were trapped.

"Stop!" He pleaded as the guards scrunitized them, figuring out the best way to approach the two. "As Master of this estate, I order you to stop!"

Lao's pleas sounded distant to Toph. She was in another world, another time, another place. Her single bare foot was planted firmly on the floor, pressing so hard against the earth that it hurt. She could feel each footstep the guards took, every movement, everything.

And it scared her, scared her to death. She was the greatest Earthbender in the world, but she wasn't invincible, not now.

"Dad, stop," she felt herself muttering. "They're not gonna listen, these aren't guards-"

Lao, ignoring her protests, pressed on. "My wife- my wife is in this garden! She'll fire you, fire you all!"

"No, Dad!" The Earthbender whispered, a cold anxiety numbing her. The guards were preparing to strike; she could feel it. "Dad, these people are-"

_A shift in the ground. They're Earthbending, they're-_

"-Leave this to me, Toph," Lao managed, cutting her off. "Get to somewhere safe. Find your mother. I'll deal with this!"

_Hands. Hands, made of of earth. I think I know these people, they're not safe, they can kill us-_

"Dad!" she found herself shrieking. "Watch out!"

Before Lao could retaliate, the attackers struck, sending earthen hands through the air. Toph could sense the projectiles, but they were so fast, and there were so many. Without thinking, she pulled a barrier from the earth, making a protective stone shield around them.

"Why are you doing this?" Lao shouted above the chaos. Toph didn't know who he was addressing, but she knew he had reason to be confused. "Why-"

The barrier crumbled as the Earthbenders barraged it with attacks, and Toph bit her lip, trying to pinpoint her opposition. They were so swift, though, jumping from one point to the other without time for her to sense his or her vibrations. It reminded her of fighting with Aang, and the memory, unusual as it was, sent a course of pain through her heart.

"Toph!" she heard Lao scream, and whipped around just in time to sense her father encircled by three Earthbenders. The rest landed around her, virtually weightless, and surrounded her, too.

_If I try to help Dad, the three here'll hurt me,_ she reasoned quickly, her hands curling into fists. _But if I knock the three here out, they might hurt him-_

Toph didn't know who to save first- she was sure that they were meaning to capture both of them, and undoubtedly, they had taken her mother as well. The thought made her swell with rage.

Planting her feet on the ground- one clothed in silk, one bare and streaked with dirt- she listened to the earth and waited for somebody to make a move.

_This guy here's waiting for me to do something. The guy in front of me's just gonna go along with all the others. The last one- I know him, I remember him. When we were in Ba Sing Se, he was one of them, was one of the people that attacked us. _

_Wait... all of them are!_

She tore the earth up from under her attackers' feet, catapulting them into the air and then pounding them into the ground. She ran to her father before they had a chance to counter, knowing full well that these people weren't ones to be defeated easily. Yet, Toph wasn't intending to hurt either of them, not until she knew exactly what they had come for. These people had been under Azula before, and Azula was in prison... she gritted her teeth, not making any sense of the situation, and turned her full attention to Lao.

The men around him had been distracted by Toph's Earthbending, and had decided to go for her, instead. They faced her, arms outstretched and hands pointed in an Earthbending stance.

They had a weak foundation, though. One little tremor would topple them all.

Toph relaxed, then, the fear leaving her as quickly as it had come. She had really overestimated her opponent this time. Sensing hesitation from the men after the fall of their comrades, she decided that no good would really come out of knocking them out until she found out whose decoys they were. These people couldn't have gotten this far unless they had planned in advance, and Toph doubted that they had figured it out themselves.

Someone had sent them. Someone stronger. A small knot of fear tightened in her chest, but she brushed it aside and kept her pride intact.

The atmosphere tightened as the guards made a motion forwards, and Toph bit her lip, surveying her attackers and figuring their weaknesses, the flaws in their stances. Trapping them seemed to be the best option, but she knew that Earthbenders of their prowess- even if they weren't of her caliber- might be able to break out just as easily. What she was worried about most, though, was her father. One missed attack could lead to Lao getting hurt.

Just as she was about to launch into combat, though, something faint and familiar marred the vibrations that danced under her feet. Something reassuring and real and... she faltered, then, paralyzed by the feeling, longing to feel the vibration again, wanting confirmation that she hadn't imagined it.

The attackers approached her warily, knowing that she had let her guard down. Toph acknowledged their movements, threatening them by getting into one of her Earthbending stances, but her mind was elsewhere.

_And I can feel him, I can feel him in the earth, he's still here..._

And a flicker of some unknown emotion danced on his daughter's face, and Lao Bei Fong could do nothing but watch, knowing that Toph could feel it in the air, the danger, the desperation, the anxiety. He was worried for her, wanted to yell at her, tell her to run, to hide, to leave, but his own fear kept him frozen.

_But how, when he's gone, when everything's gone-_

Without warning, she tore three chunks of earth from the ground, holding them in the air before her as a warning not to come any closer. The men faltered, then; she could sense it in the way they moved.

_Maybe, just maybe..._

The apprehension of her attackers left as soon as it came. Each held their ground, their confidence returning. Lao cowered slightly, resisting the desire to yell for his daughter, and just watched, prisoner to his own anxiety.

She felt it, then. Felt him in the earth. She wasn't sure how, she wasn't sure why, but he felt so real, so alive, so _present._

_He never really left._

The attackers charged, then, lashing out with daggers of earth. She countered swiftly, barraging the foes with the three boulders she had suspended in front of her, driving them backwards and hurling them to the ground. They recovered quickly, stood, and propelled themselves forwards. She sighed in exasperation and swept her leg around her in an arc, bringing the earth up with her feet and knocking one man out in the process.

Toph knew she wasn't giving the fight her all. Her thoughts were not on the battle, but on the faint vibration she kept sensing. Earthbending was second nature to her; she could afford being a little less focused. Either way, she seemed to be winning easily.

As soon as she had targeted the last man and hurled him to the courtyard floor, she had all but forgotten that her father was present, forgotten to run before danger found them again.

"Toph!" Lao shouted, voice shaking, trodding his way over. "We need to leave. Now!"

"Dad," she began weakly. "Dad-"

"There's no reason for you to be out here," he continued, uncertainly marring his words as he grabbed for her wrist. "There was probably a misconception, a mistake... I'll manage it. Toph, we don't need any heroics from you."

She heard him but didn't acknowledge his words, instead focusing her energy on the men that lay in a heap on the ground. She hadn't hurt them much, she figured, but had probably done enough to scare them into submission. Maybe they could clear a few things up for her...

A woman shrieked, splitting the quick silence. Toph whipped her head around, carefully searching for the cause of it, while Lao tried without success to move her. She felt the distant vibrations of her mother. Her delicate footfalls, her hardly suppressed fear, her silent desperation as the other guards captured her too.

An abrupt shock shot through her veins, replaced by a resolute courage.

"We can't go," she managed then, her voice soft but unwavering. "They have Mom. They've taken her like they've tried to take us."

Lao fought to regain his composure, a cold fear running through his veins. When a moment passed without an exchange of words, Toph turned her attention back to the matter at hand.

"Dad, I have to help her. I can. You saw me, didn't you, how I held these men back?" she implored quietly. "Just let me go."

"Your mother is more than capable of defending herself," came the quiet, shaky reply. "As am I."

"I can't-" She paused, letting her hand fall limply under his grasp. "I can't just stay inside and do nothing, when people might get hurt, people I care about-"

"We care about_ you_, Toph," he pleaded gently, imploring with her. She felt herself go rigid, as if this sudden sentiment for her father had hit some nerve. "We can't afford to let you get hurt. Not after all those days. Waiting for you. Wondering if you were hurt. I'll never put you in danger again. Not my daughter."

She could feel it in the earth, the cold truth of it all. Her father wasn't lying, and it hurt so much to know that.

She took a deep breath, fighting with herself. What her parents wanted. What she wanted. What mattered most, in the end?

_Maybe love isn't just submitting to the care of others. Maybe love is just caring for them, in turn._

Lao Bei Fong needed her. Underneath his rough facade, he was just as vulnerable as he believed Toph was. Men could overpower him. Weaken him. He needed her more than she needed him.

_And if I hold on to that one hope, the hope that maybe he's still here, somewhere, letting me know that I shouldn't give up..._

And Poppy. Her mother had never been one for putting up a fight. She had been gently bred, raised as a lady. She had been taught to submit to her superiors. Charm couldn't save her now. Neither could impeccable manners and decorum. Toph had tried for ages to get her mother to see that standing up for one's self was better than blindly following orders. Better than being weak.

Maybe now was the time to prove it to her.

_Maybe I should listen to him. Wherever he is._

Toph would hurt her father, but... she would _save_ him. She would save him from his own foolish pride, from his anxiety over his weak daughter, from everything. She realized, then, that helping her parents was more important than helping herself. She had to disobey them, not because of her own desires, but because she needed to protect them.

_And I know he's here. I can feel him in the earth. Sokka... he never left. I can't tell, but I know he's here for me. Like I need to be for my parents. _

_Even if I hurt them._

Without a second thought, she pulled away from Lao. His grip on her hadn't been very tight; it was as if he was afraid of her. As she moved away slowly, he made no word of protest, but simply nodded resignedly as if he had expected it from her all along.

"You need to get somewhere safe," she managed simply. "I can't feel any strange vibrations near the house. It should be okay inside."

She gave him a reassuring smile, then, trying hard not to turn back. Toph knew that it was Lao's strong concern for Poppy that kept him from stopping her again, but she still felt her father's fear- for her mother, for himself, for his daughter.

"You know I'll be okay," she continued into the silence. "You know I will. I need to do this. Please, let me save Mom."

She stood there, an impatient dread running through her veins, until Lao broke the silence, speaking with a voice she had never heard from him before.

"Toph," he whispered weakly. "If I can't stop you, at least... try to be careful."

He was giving her up. It was just for this moment, but it felt like an eternity to her. And it was the best thing she had ever received from her father: acknowledgment that she really was an Earthbender, and nothing else. Toph fought the desire to run to him, but just stood there, not knowing what to make of the situation.

"I get so scared when you do this," he added softly, when Toph made no sound. "Come back... come back with your mother. In one piece. Safe."

"Yeah, Dad," she responded finally, and grinned, truly, for the first time in months.

"I know. I will. I... I promise."

Without further warning, the Earthbender reached down, peeled the last silk slipper away, and sprinted into the garden.

* * *

The healing center was a large, quaint little building that had a roof like a slumping solder's hat. The steps were coated in ice, and the surface seemed to glow in the quiet of the night. She was the only one on the streets at this hour; everybody else was probably at rest in their homes. She had to hope that Yagoda was in the center, and better yet, that she was by herself. It would be humiliating to have to ask a healing question in front of ten elementary division pupils who had known the answer for years, but it was bearable because of Aang. Yet, she wanted this to go as smoothly as possible.

"Hello?" She queried blindly, the room empty save for the dummy lying on the carved ice table. Chi meridians and pathways were etched onto the figure, and Katara found herself tracing the passages with her eyes. A dim sort of candlelight illuminated the room, the fire flickering and dancing slowly in little paper lanterns. There was so much to learn, so much to accomplish. And yet, all this knowledge would help Aang in the end.

She quietly stepped around the table, studying the figure, when footsteps approached the room in the dim light of the building.

"Is that you, Katara?" The Waterbender spun to face the person who had addressed her, and smiled as the features of the elderly woman made themselves visible in the candlelight. "It's been a while, hasn't it? What are you doing up so late?"

"I wanted to ask a question," she attempted. "About Aang."

"What is it? Have the healers been making progress?" Yagoda, the healing master who had tried to teach her so long ago, smiled and walked to the back of the room, where a teapot and four cups lay on a small table. "Have some tea. It seems like it's been a long day for you."

Katara smiled weakly in the dim glow of the healing center. She felt like she had gone through so much, but knew that nothing really had been accomplished. It had been a long day, but a useless one. A draining one.

"Aang has been making lots of progress," Katara replied as the woman poured the hot drink into two cups and set them on the table. "But I feel like I need to help him a lot more instead of just standing there and hoping he gets well."

"You do have a natural talent," Yagoda mused, sitting down on one of the chairs that lined the table. "But talent must be refined. What does Aang need to be healed of?"

"I've noticed that his internal injuries that are healing pretty well, and... most of the infections are gone, and his broken bones are mending. The wound on his back got reopened, but it's also- it's also getting better."

She tried to say this unflinchingly, but found it hard to describe Aang's injuries without envisioning them, so vivid and painful in her mind's eye.

"And you say that the healers are helping?" Yagoda mused quietly, noticing the exhaustion etched in Katara's eyes and offering her a chair. The Waterbender took a seat appreciatively, all but ignoring the steaming cup of tea on the table. She didn't know if it was all for Aang's sake, or if she was just being selfish... but she wanted to heal him. To take all the pain away.

She knew it was impossible. Even a master Waterbender didn't have the power to make a person whole.

"Katara?" Yagoda pressed on after a moment of silence. "You don't have to-"

"The healers," she interrupted weakly. "They're doing well, better than I did, so I..." She paused for a minute, thinking of the best way to approach the subject. "I want to help him like the healers are. I want to do at least that much."

"Who is to say you aren't already?" the healer inquired softly, and Katara lowered her head, refusing to meet her gaze. A moment passed when no conversation broke the silence, and Yagoda, clearing her throat hesitantly, turned her wizened gaze to the Waterbender.

"There are injuries that can't be healed with medicine, with herbs. There are wounds that can't be seen with one's eyes." The healer paused for a moment, taking a sip from one of the cups and wincing slightly at the faint bitterness. "I know you understand this, Katara. You are intuitive and empathetic- like your grandmother, in fact. You must know that sometimes, the most obvious wounds aren't the ones that need healing."

"Oh," Katara mumbled. An uneasy moment of silence passed between the two, in which Yagoda tipped the last of the tea into Katara's untouched cup and then sat there, musing something. At last, she tilted her head up and peered at the Waterbender.

"Katara, a bender's chi- his or her energy- is what enables him or her to manipulate the elements, correct?"

The Waterbender gave a halfhearted nod, and Yagoda smiled softly.

"However, not only benders utilize chi. You know that there are many pathways within the human body- meridians, that's the word. And-" Here, the healer paused to glance at the dummy sprawled across the ice-carved platform. "-The meridians govern the energy that flows through your body. If one meridian is malfunctioning, your body is thrown off balance. A part of you isn't able to work anymore."

"Because the chi isn't able to flow?"

"Correct," Yagoda resolved. "For example, to paralyze a human, you only need to block the chi meridians that govern movement. Located along the spinal cord, there are three pressure points. Hitting them blocks the flow of chi in that meridian, resulting in temporary paralysis. However, it can yield disastrous damage- maybe permanent damage- if used with skill."

_Skill like Ty Lee has_, Katara thought, and she resisted the urge to change the subject.

"But the most important thing, Katara, is that your chi is your life force. It only flows freely if you have the will to let it do so," Yagoda noted quietly, nudging the cooling cup of tea towards Katara. "Katara, Aang's problem is the flow of his chi. His body is refusing the transport of energy, and his chi remains stationary. His body is weak because the energy isn't allowed to move freely."

"Is it because of his wounds?" the Waterbender managed softly. Yagoda met her gaze, then, and shook her head softly.

"No, Katara. Aang has lost the will to live."

* * *

**_Author's Note:_** _Many thank-yous are in order._

_First of all, to Davis 51. You are an excellent beta reader, and you caught things that I would've never noticed! And you stuck with me despite my terrible habit of procrastinating, which is extremely frustrating to do, I bet. It's thanks to you that this chapter's one of my favorites._

_(And most of all, thanks for the help with the action sequences. They were never my forte!)_

_Second of all, to my friend's Season Two DVDs. Nothing like awesome action sequences, fantastic animation, and- well, actual AVATAR- to get me inspired. Also, thanks to my dad for being an awesome acupuncturist and teaching me about pressure points/meridians. I don't know if half the stuff makes sense, but..._

_And last but not least, to you guys, the ever-fantastic readers and reviewers! What, has it been... three months, maybe, since I've updated? I'm so sorry for the wait. Ugh, I could just kick myself for procrastinating again. Truth be told, I pretty much lost motivation halfway. Had it not been for the support of everyone, I would've... well, put it off longer. And by longer, I mean for a very, VERY long time._

_Consider this chapter foreshadowing for Part Three and anything that follows. What might the Dai Li be up to next?_

_Wishing you all a great holiday season!_


	20. Shattering the Chains

**Part Two: **Spring

**Chapter Ten:** Shattering the Chains

_Your lungs scream for oxygen  
But your brain begs for freedom._

_So you_

_run_

_run_

_run_

_Trying to escape the shadow of a life  
That will never really leave you._

_The blisters on your toes_

_crack_

_burn_

_bleed_

_And your heart collapses  
Heels cutting into jagged earth floors._

_Doesn't it hurt you?  
Doesn't it kill you?_

_Knowing you will never be free  
No matter how far you run?_

The royal summons had taken longer than expected to get over with. After that, nobody felt the need to talk. The walk to the hideout was silent, and was accentuated with nothing more than the sound of footsteps on cobblestones.

It was a cool night, rare in the Fire Nation. The breeze was pleasantly soft, but it did nothing to alleviate the burden that weighed on their minds.

To Mai, her companion seemed especially vulnerable tonight. She had no doubt that Azula had a part in this, but knew that Ty Lee could easily tell the prisoner of Mai's assumptions. If she suspected something of the contortionist, it was probably better to keep it to herself.

Their feeble attempts at conversation quickly succumbed to the uncomfortable lull of silence. The two meandered down the empty streets, trying to pretend that nothing had changed at all.

"Mai," Ty Lee began quietly. "Um, do you think that joining will be hard?"

"Joining the rebellion?"

"Hmm." Ty Lee replied. "Do you really think they'll make us do something horrible?"

Mai didn't answer, knowing that something was wrong. Years of friendship had allowed her to pick up even the most subtle of signs. And tonight, as silence permeated the night air, she sensed that something had happened. Something monumental.

She had always felt a responsibility towards Ty Lee, a resolute desire to protect her. She knew that the acrobat was far from weak- not physically. She could take an army of men down without getting hurt. She could take bending away, could do unspeakable things to people. Mai knew that even Azula had been scared of her at times, because Ty Lee could strip a person down to their core, could take away what made them powerful and reduce them to nothing.

But Ty Lee was also so trusting, and saw the good in everybody. Azula was a goddess to her, the very epitome of perfection. Though Mai knew better, Ty Lee had always followed her heart, not her head. They had always been a little team of two, the circus performer and the beautiful princess, and no matter what, she knew that Ty Lee would never forget that bond.

An inner jealousy that had been masked for so many years began to emerge again. She felt disgusted at herself.

"Mai?" Ty Lee finally ventured, daring to break the silence. The other girl turned towards her, eyebrows raised slightly.

"Yeah?"

"What if the rebellion... sends you away by yourself?"

"What?" This caught Mai's attention, and she stopped abruptly, turning her full attention to Ty Lee.

"To the Earth Kingdom. Ba Sing Se," Ty Lee attempted, hesitating as well. "I- I mean, if that happened. They aren't going to do that, I don't think-"

"Why?" Mai pressed. Now that an answer had been coaxed out of Ty Lee, Mai realized that the chance of being sent away was very real. The girl had never been the best liar in the group, after all. Although she tried hard to mask the emotion behind her words, the older girl could sense the burden of truth in Ty Lee's eyes.

"I don't know, but what if," Ty Lee insisted, a hint of desperation tingeing her voice. "What if it was a really bad reason?"

"Looking after that stupid bear again?" she attempted, trying uncharacteristically to make light of the situation. Honestly, she could think of nothing that would be terrible. It might be a bore, but it would be a nice change from the norms of Fire Nation life. It would actually be refreshing to escape from Azula, after all.

But this was a hypothetical situation, wasn't it? Drawn back to reality, Mai realized that her companion hadn't said anything yet.

"Whatever," Mai finally sighed, realizing that Ty Lee wasn't about to say anything. "It's not going to happen. There's no point in asking."

"I know, but if it does... I don't know what I'd do."

They continued walking, Ty Lee's gaze fixed on the ground, Mai's eyes staring ahead.

"There's no reason they wouldn't send just one of us," she added as an afterthought. "They'd send us both."

A stony silence ensued, and Mai, regarding that as the end of the conversation, said nothing. She focused her eyes on the dark of their shadows, watching as their silhouettes glided over cobblestones and brick walls, derelict street corners and deserted buildings. She barely noticed when Ty Lee, unable to maintain her composure anymore, paused on the street for the second time that night.

Mai couldn't think of anything to console her. The look in Ty Lee's eyes was a mix of trepidation and suppressed desperation, and conveyed an emotion that simple words couldn't quite alleviate. The breeze billowed past obliviously as the two stood there, the full weight of imminent separation crashing down on them.

They hardly needed any words now.

_--_

"How do I help him?"

"You know him better than anybody else, Katara. Why has Aang lost his will to live?"

Silence. She knew the cold truth of it, and the weight of it all crushed her heart like a stone.

"I don't know," she finally choked, her voice quivering faintly. She was lying. She was lying, and Yagoda knew it.

The healer could see agony in the adolescent's eyes, and decided not to press the matter. Folding her hands, she sighed, leaning against the table.

"I have an idea," she started. "Some soldiers are being released from the infirmary tomorrow. I was thinking that they could visit Aang, if only for a moment." She paused for a while, knowing that Katara was unconvinced. "These soldiers rose to battle with hope in their hearts, with the knowledge that the Avatar was fighting alongside them. Aang needs to know the impact he has had on the world, however much he refuses to see it."

"It would help," she murmured, staring blankly at the carved table. "Yeah."

Yagoda studied her young pupil with worry in her eyes. Smiling slightly, she unclasped her hands and nudged the cup of tea towards the young Waterbender.

"Drink up," she murmured. "Your tea's getting cold."

_--_

There was no real maze in the Bei Fong garden. The tall, verdant walls that divided the walkways were more for show than for confusing visitors of the estate. Yet, the layout of the courtyard felt like a labryinth to Lao Bei Fong, who was running back to the manor with all his might. His fear of getting caught was the only thing that kept his legs moving; his fear of getting attacked was the only reason he left Toph behind.

In the same garden, his daughter was running headlong into danger. Adrenaline coursed through her veins, and although she knew the walls of the estate still held her in, she felt freer than she ever had been. She felt her mother's vibrations stronger with every step she took. She felt the faint pulse of Sokka's energy under her toes and knew, without a doubt, that he was truly near.

Poppy Bei Fong held back a shriek when she saw her daughter appear. Toph's dress was in disarray, and her hair was a tangled mess. Her hands were streaked with dirt, and her feet were bare against the rough stone paving of the walkway.

Then the reality of danger sunk in, and Poppy let out a terrible, frightening wail.

"Toph! Toph! Get away from here!"

Poppy's wrists were locked behind her with earthen hands, and she struggled against her bonds with a desperation that sent Toph's heart pounding. Instinctively, she scouted the area, trying to get a better understanding of the situation. Six Dai Li agents held her mother captive- three on both sides of her.

_Piece of cake,_ Toph reassured herself, though her heart fluttered with anticipation. She flexed her toes and relished the feel of earth underneath them.

"What is it?" she found herself muttering, her voice foreign to her. "Are you guys that weak? Your friends couldn't even catch a little blind girl."

"Who's she?" An agent on Poppy's right barked, his eyes locked on the dirt-streaked blind girl.

"She's no one, please let her go! She's just a servant!" Poppy moaned, casting a desperate gaze on her captors.

"Is that so?" Came the cold reply. "What does a little blind servant…"

"I'm her daughter," Toph spat. Poppy could only stare horrified, as her gentle daughter…no…The Blind Bandit continued, "the one you knuckleheads probably came here for." The agents remained motionless, focused only on the girl before them. "I'm only going to say this once. I beat you all before and I'll do it again. If you want to live, let my mother go, let Sokka go, and never come back again."

When nobody replied, Poppy kicked at the ground and wrenched against her stone manacles, giving a pained shriek when they were tightened with one flick of a Dai Li agent's finger. "No! Don't hurt her! Don't-"

Without warning, two men shot out earthen fists at Toph. She countered swiftly, raising her arms and drawing two stone pillars from the ground to obstruct them. Without a moment of hesitation, the agents leaped into the air and slashed their arms across the air in a single knife-like movement, slicing the tops of the pillars and sending them flying towards the girl. Instinctively, Toph drew a long sheet of earth up with her hands and blocked the pieces that were hurtling towards her.

"_What are you doing to her_?"

Toph faltered, her concentration shattered. She cast her attention to Poppy, who was wrenching at her bonds with a ferocity that Toph had never seen in her mother before. She could feel the vibrations, though her view was obstructed by Dai Li agents and the pillars of earth that separated her from her attackers.

Her mother was fighting, and she was hurting herself, jeopardizing her safety, for _Toph_.

The split-second of hesitation cost her. Chunks of earth barraged her earth shield, threatening to send it crumbling down. The stone wall shielding her from the Earthbenders finally gave way, collapsing at her feet. With relief, she noticed that all the agents had left Poppy's side, realizing that the little blind girl was an actual threat.

Whipped back into reality, Toph glided forward, putting herself between the Dai Li and Poppy. She barely managed to sense the fleet, feather-light vibrations of the Dai Li before she realized that they were charging towards her.

Instinctively, she drew the rubble at her feet to shoulder level and sent the chunks of earth whizzing at the incoming attackers, hoping to pinpoint at least one of them down. These agents seemed to be swifter, deadlier. Toph could barely feel their feet on the earth, and had no idea where they were in relation to her.

Finally, they were within range. Judging by the silence, Toph could tell that her attack had missed. Now, though, they were close enough for her to hit with accuracy.

A slight smirk tugging on her lips, she bent the earth beneath her to her will, feeling the thrill of being herself again, feeling the exhilaration of battle in the air. The Dai Li were coming for her- she could feel the echoes of their footsteps beneath her feet, the whoosh of air that accompanied the quick blur of their movements.

A few feet closer... a few inches closer... _perfect._ She lashed out with everything that she had, relishing the brilliant shock that coursed through the veins of her attackers. They had no idea who they were dealing with. She was a fool to have overestimated them.

If she could be Toph the Earthbender, just for a moment, she had to make it worthwhile.

It was all second nature to her, as if she had spent a lifetime preparing for the moment. She felt her toes dig into the rawness of the earth and her hands poised to attack. It was like a muted dream, a brilliant, vivid dream, the earth rising and falling with every twitch of her fingers.

They were no match for Toph. Even Poppy could see it. She had given up struggling- her wrists were bloodied and torn from her efforts at breaking free, and she had since realized that it was an impossibility. She had even stopped shrieking, and soon, her fear became nothing more than a silent gnaw at her heart. But watching Toph fight, watching her push aside her captors as if it was nothing to her, it all had some sort of inescapable, indescribable _beauty_ to it.

Poppy Bei Fong was livid- she couldn't deny that fact. But she was also stunned into silence, and some strange, unfamiliar emotion bore into her heart as she watched her daughter Earthbend. Toph was loud and brash and so, so powerful. Dust and dirt streaked her fine silk clothing and turned her into more of a savage than a lady. Her hair had come free of its tight bun and now swung around her shoulders as she lashed out against the men. And yet, Toph was as graceful as a dancer, earth wheeling and spinning around her.

Pillars of earth leapt from the ground and sent two men catapulting into the air.

Twin boulders collided with another two and crushed them into the floor.

Realizing the severity of the situation, the remaining two Dai Li agents, the only ones that still stood by Poppy's side, leapt to the aid of their comrades. Toph met them with the same confident air, the same smirk and sense of victory. It was like somebody else, somebody foreign, had taken control over the beautiful, graceful lady she had been for months and months.

_No_, she realized, the soles of her feet digging into the earth and her forehead coated with sweat and streaks of dirt. _This is who I am._

She raised her arms and brought sheets of earth from the floor, sending them hurtling at the last two men with a simple, final thrust of her hands. She sent it crashing down on the men only inches away from Poppy, and smashed the last of the captors into the earth.

And then, as the last two Dai Li guards fell lifelessly to the ground, Toph's mother realized that her daughter, her weak, frail little daughter, was the strongest person she had seen in her life.

_--_

Hours later, Mai and Ty Lee had been welcomed to the rebellion. It was surprisingly simple to join, given the duo's alliance with Azula. Normally, females weren't allowed membership, but "special circumstances" evidently called for some exceptions to the rule.

"Special circumstances" also called for a party.

As usual, Mai had gravitated to the nearest corner, preparing herself for a night of pure boredom. From what she had seen, every 'rebel' was the same: young, airheaded, and prone to getting drunk. Shunning every opportunity for conversation, she had put a safe distance between herself and the general party, preferring instead to scout the room for signs of a threat.

Minutes passed, then hours. Nothing.

Ty Lee drowned her guilt in a whirl of conversation. She glided from one group of adolescent boys to another, smiling amiably when it was expected of her. A flask of flame wine had been passed around to commemorate the new members, and the overall mood was jovial, loud, and celebratory.

The main room was abuzz with conversation and accented with raucous laughter. The rebels seemed to be in a state of relaxation, with nothing but wine and Ty Lee on their minds. To anybody, they would seem to be a joke.

"Hey," Ty Lee greeted Mai after the festivities had droned down, ducking through a throng of laughing boys. Sensing her companion's evident disdain, the acrobat bit her lip and sighed.

"This isn't about before, right? Come on, Mai, look at them." Ty Lee gestured to the rebels sitting around the table, who were exchanging jokes that made the other girl cringe. "What can they possibly do to us?"

"Really?" Mai averted her eyes from the table and lowered her voice. "You expect that to be the rebellion? These teenage guys jumping around and pretending to be dangerous?"

"So? Everyone's having fun. Besides, it's our first day here, and they want us... you know, to feel welcome."

"Look." The older girl sighed, leaning against the wall. "Remember that day you dragged me here?"

"How could I forget?" Ty Lee replied. "That was the first day we toured this place."

"So you remember the other rooms," Mai went on matter-of-factly. "The men. And the weapons they had back there."

"What do you mean?" her companion responded softly, not quite getting the point. Mai rolled her eyes.

"The _men _are the real threats. Not their idiot sons."

"Well, sure. But there are _some_ men celebrating, and they're not threats," Ty Lee pleaded, wanting Mai to play along. She felt doubt crawl back inside her, as much as she had worked to keep it away. "Look, we're fine. I guess I was wrong before. You know they need us both here, and they'd never send any of us away."

Mai said nothing, half of her hoping that Ty Lee's words were true. The other half of her held onto suspicion.

"Hey," her companion prodded after a moment. "We should just enjoy ourselves, alright? We shouldn't worry. Azula'd never let anything bad happen to us. If she puts her trust in this rebellion, I think that we should, too."

_You forgot, Ty Lee, that Azula was the one who locked us up in prison. She was the one who'd let us die without a second thought. We're no different from anybody else she's ever manipulated._

"Whatever you say," she finally muttered in response, eliciting a small grin from her friend. They stood together, surveying the scene before them. Evidently finished with their round of crude joking, the rebels at the nearby table had settled into a wave of silence until one abruptly stood, raising his glass of flame wine in the air. This young man seemed to be quite popular, as everybody else stopped what they were doing to glance at him.

"I propose a toast!" He bellowed into the room, cheeks flushed with excitement. "To Fire Lord Ozai, our true leader! The supreme ruler of the Fire Nation!"

"To Fire Lord Ozai!" came the roaring response, accompanied with a clinking of glasses. Mai fought back a scowl, remembering what the man had done to Zuko.

"To Princess Azula!" The same man continued from where he stood, evidently pleased with the reaction. "May she rise again to govern our land and restore it to glory!"

"To Princess Azula!" Ty Lee watched with a smile dancing on her lips, but a faint anxiety in her gentle grey eyes.

The two stood in silence for a while, watching as the rebels clinked their glasses in another toast. It was hard to believe that the two adolescent girls were now part of this cacophony, this messy and brash group of men. Lost in thought, Mai didn't notice the rebel approaching until he was nearly in front of her.

This man seemed considerably older than the rest of the rebels in the room. Solemnity was etched into his face, and he showed no signs of drunkenness. Unlike the others in the room, who seemed to have nothing much in the way of strength, this rebel was well built. Probably knew how to fight well, too.

A jarring realization settled on Mai. This was one of the men who she had seen before, in the hidden corridors of the hideout. This man was a threat.

Ty Lee was evidently unaware of the approaching rebel, and was occupying herself elsewhere.

"Mai, I'm gonna go, okay?" She shot her companion a reassuring smile and then darted into the crowd, where she was swallowed by a sea of glaring red. The older girl was left alone again, though it was at an incredibly inconvenient time.

It seemed that luck didn't favor her that night. Glancing up, she seemed that the unusual rebel hadn't changed his route and was heading towards her quickly.

Instinctively, Mai felt for one of her knives. It lay secure in the lining of her sleeve, sharpened to a point. She watched Ty Lee mingle with the rebels, envying her friend's trusting nature. Ty Lee could just let her inhibitions fall anytime she wanted, when Mai had absolutely no faith in anybody.

"You're one of our new recruits," the man spoke before Mai could escape to the acrobat. "Mai. The knife thrower."

Mai nodded silently. She let no emotions through, though every nuance of her was on guard. It didn't take her long to connect the events. Ty Lee's trepidation, this foreign man who knew her name... it probably all led back to Azula. The princess couldn't be sure of any of her allies, not until their loyalties were thoroughly tested. And Mai, who had betrayed her not so long ago, would definitely be tested the most.

No hesitation marred her face, but she knew what was to come. Ty Lee had all but given her the answer a few hours ago, while they were walking to the hideout.

_Ba Sing Se_.

"Come with me," the rebel continued bluntly, as if reading her mind. "I've got special orders for you."

_--_

"Can I see Katara?"

Yagoda attempted a smile, but couldn't muster a response. The healing courses were cancelled for the day; the girls under her charge were expected to attend Waterbending lessons instead. Thinking of the great changes that had occurred so quickly in her home, the wizened healer couldn't help but hope that similar ones would occur in her patient's condition. His chi was completely stationary at some points, blocked, rendering healing efforts useless.

Yagoda tried not to frown at the boy. He needed all the hope he could get, and any doubt that he might recover would discourage him completely.

"Katara's sleeping," Yagoda finally managed, her voice soft. She gently drew a line of water down the boy's arm, noting with relief that his smaller wounds were healing. "She'll be up soon."

Outside, the faintest tendrils of dawn painted the skies in pastel hues. The light kissed the icy tops of the buildings and cascaded down, bathing the streets in the glow of early morning. An otherwordly hush had settled in the atmosphere.

Katara trudged towards the infirmary, using the footsteps of prior visitors as guides. Though she knew the route to the building well enough to do it with her eyes closed, she was too distracted by the previous night's events to do much thinking on her own. She bit her lip and tried to make her mind a thoughtless blank. It was too hard: sleeplessness blurred her head, and as soon as one thought was forced out of her mind, another agonizing memory replaced it.

_He's lost the will to live._

She had known it all along, but it was staggering to have her suspicions confirmed by Yagoda. Katara had never really expected- no, she had never even _dreamed_- of an Aang that would give up on life. The Aang she knew_ embraced_ life. He was the embodiment of vitality. He had an inner drive that was astounding to her.

But that Aang had existed before the war had ended. He hadn't yet experienced the true brutality of battle and the full extent of pain.

Katara had spent the night wondering about Yagoda's idea. It was a nice one, she would give it that. Aang hadn't been able to see the effects of the war's end on the world. A simple visit could open his eyes to the peace that he had brought.

Yet, Aang blamed himself for everything that went wrong, even if he hadn't been the cause of the problems. The war soldiers could've sustained terrible injuries, and seeing them could only make the boy feel worse.

Shutting her eyes in exasperation and weariness, Katara told herself not to dwell on these things. Everything was beyond her control.

It was too early for most people to visit the infirmary, but Katara was the exception to that rule. The healers in the hallway let her pass without a complaint, and she meandered silently throughout the hallway, making her way to Aang's healing room.

"Does it hurt?" Came Yagoda's voice, muted behind the door. Katara hesitated in front of the room, realizing that a healing session was underway.

She didn't hear Aang's reply, and taking advantage of the silence, knocked on the door. She heard a shuffle of footsteps in the room, and seconds later, the door opened a crack.

The elder studied Katara with weary eyes. She had expected the Waterbender to visit, though she would have preferred her gone for the moment. "It's early, Katara. What brings you here?"

"I just wanted to talk to Aang for a moment," she replied, averting her eyes. "But if it's inconvenient, I'll come back later."

Something about the girl made Yagoda soften for a moment. Sighing, the healer glanced behind her and met the gaze of the Avatar. There was a flicker of hope in his eyes, a sign that he had caught the sound of Katara's voice.

"It's okay," he murmured to himself, not expecting anybody to hear. "It's okay with me."

A hint of a frown tugging at Yagoda's mouth, she turned back to the visitor hovering blankly by the entrance. "Just for a moment, then." She lowered her voice then, gazing intently at the young Waterbender. "I want him to be ready for the visitors. They'll be here at noon."

Without further comment, the healer opened the door to allow Katara through. She attempted an appreciative smile and stepped in, her gaze immediately darting to the boy on the bed. Aang gave her a small wave in lieu of a spoken greeting.

The door shut. Katara glanced back, expecting to see Yagoda by the threshold, but the healer was gone. They were alone.

"Feeling any better?" she inquired, tearing her eyes away from the closed door. Aang shrugged weakly, shifting slightly under the sparse warmth of his blankets. An awkward silence permeated the air before she stated, softly:

"You know, some people are visiting you today. Yagoda told you, right?"

Aang met her eyes, a puzzled expression on his face. "No..."

"They're war veterans," Katara continued swiftly, though it was probably against Yagoda's plans. "They're going to be checked out of the infirmary today."

"Why?" Came the sullen, uncharacteristic reply. Realizing the implications of what he had asked, Aang clenched his eyes shut, as if a great weariness were crashing down on him. "No, no... it's not like that. Never mind."

"Is it a bad idea?"

"No. Nothing bad." He attempted at a smile, forcing his eyes to flutter open. Katara's concerned face came into view, and he studied her through a half-lidded gaze."It's just that... I don't know if I'm ready. To see war veterans_,_ you know." He paused for a second, contemplating the matter. "What would they think of me?"

"Of you?" Katara repeated gently, making her way over to his bed. He kept his eyes on her, watching her every movement. She smiled softly, stopping inches away from the young Avatar.

"I bet they'd think you were brave. Exceptionally brave. To take all of this-" She gestured to his injuries, trying not to flinch. "-All of this without complaining."

"I have complained," he muttered, his voice barely audible. "And I haven't been brave. Not like you think."

At a loss for words, Katara extended a hand to his left arm, letting her fingers glide over his scarred skin. He tensed slightly at her touch, her fingertips leaving tingling paths over the bandages that covered his wounds. His injuries stung behind the bindings, but the gentle caress of her fingers seemed to hold a healing quality of their own. She traced a path up to his shoulder, taking in the burns and terrible injuries he had sustained.

_How much chi's blocked up there?_ She bit her lip, removing her hand from his shoulder reluctantly. It was difficult to sense the areas where blockage had occurred without the use of Waterbending, and she had a burning desire to check. Yet, Yagoda would probably disapprove of Katara tampering with healing methods, especially after she had worked so hard to maintain Aang's progress.

Instead, she knelt down beside the boy, her eyes locked on his. He didn't flinch or avert his gaze, but stared calmly back. He studied the colors swimming in her eyes, the deep azure blending in with specks of brown. Some hidden emotion lay in them, something he couldn't bring himself to ask about. He hoped beyond hope that it wasn't pity.

"You'll be here, won't you?" He found himself asking, imbued with a sudden boldness. "When the war veterans arrive?"

"If you want," she answered simply, letting her eyes wander to his other wounds. Gashes and burns and broken bones... they lay obscured by layers and layers of bandages. She was sure that no other war veteran had suffered as much as Aang.

"I... yes. I'll be here," she finally added. "Don't worry."

"Good," he replied, attempting at a small laugh. It came out much easier than he had expected, and it was enough to catch Katara's attention. She was almost startled by the sound; it sounded so foreign to her. Instead of responding, though, she folded her arms on Aang's bed and lay her chin down. His hand lay inches from her face, and she studied it with quiet nonchalance.

"Why exactly are you hesitant about them?" She asked suddenly, still unable to meet his gaze. "These people admire you. Honestly."

"I just..." He bit his lip slightly, casting his eyes to the ceiling. "It's hard. Seeing these people hurt, knowing they suffered from a war that went on for ages... all because I was gone for a hundred years."

"A war that's over," she contradicted softly, "Only because you were brave enough to end it."

"It's more than that," he countered, shifting slightly. "If these war veterans are just like you say they are- if they think I'm a huge hero and all- I... I just don't _know_. It's like part of me wants to be admired, and part of me doesn't feel like I deserve it."

"You're kidding," she murmured, lifting her head up to look at him. "What you don't deserve is this hospital bed, and all these injuries."

She paused for a moment, eyes locked on Aang. He stared at the ceiling, features unreadable.

"I don't know," he mumbled plainly. "All of this is confusing. I don't know what to believe anymore."

Katara smiled weakly, clasping her fingers around Aang's bare wrist. He stiffened at her touch, but she didn't let go. "So much has changed since the war ended. I don't blame you for anything."

"Thanks." He cast a hesitant look at her, not sure if it were the right thing to say. "It's just so strange. It's like I've known the entire world one day, and the next day, everything's all gone. Toph and Sokka are so far away, and nothing's like it was before. I just don't know how to think."

"Oh," she murmured, at a loss for words. "It's alright, Aang."

"I don't know what the world thinks of me, either. It feels like I've been locked up forever, and it's just strange waking up to a world that's completely changed. It reminds me of... I don't know." He shrugged weakly. "It's a little like getting out of that iceberg again."

"But this time, I'll be there for you." She lay a light hand on Aang's shoulder, and he blinked at her touch. "We all will."

"We? You mean Yagoda and the healers, right?" Aang asked quietly. "Well, I don't mind them doing their job, but... this is alright. Just talking to you's okay."

"It's nice. It's been a while since we've had a real conversation."

"Yeah."

Aang's eyes flickered shut, and he exhaled softly, his breath coming out in a wisp of white.

She took his hand in hers, his skin cold against the warmth of her fingers. A flicker of hope, however fragile, danced in her soul.

_--_

"We've got to hurry," she found herself shouting as she ran over to her mother, the words a quick jumble in her mouth. "There's bound to be more of those guys coming. Dad's back at the house, and-"

Toph paused as she neared her mother. There was something strange about the vibrations emanating from where the woman lay. A pang of fear compelled her pace to quicken, her heartbeat racing with anxiety. "Mom? Mom, are you okay? Come on, we've got to get out of here!"

Poppy Bei Fong clenched her eyes shut, unable to look at her daughter. Pain shot through her forearms, and she gritted her teeth in an effort to quell it. "Help me," she whispered, the words barely audible. "Toph, if you can-"

"I've got it," the thirteen-year-old reassured her quickly. She ran over to where the woman lay, knelt down, and carefully pried the earthen chains apart. Even without sight, she knew that Poppy's injuries were terrible. _If only Katara were here,_ she thought inwardly, biting her lip. _She would know what to do. _

She wiped those thoughts from her mind then, turning to her mother. Uncertainty pulsed in her veins. Was she going to get yelled at? Would she be lectured on good manners, as usual? The mere idea of a rebuke was unbearable.

Instead, Poppy remained silent. Toph hovered over her mother, anticipation gnawing at her mind, until the faintest of words escaped from Poppy's lips.

"You never told me," Toph's mother whispered quietly, groaning as Toph helped her to a sitting position. She cast a stricken gaze on her daughter, who was staring back at her with sightless eyes. "You never told me you could do this."

"That's because you wouldn't listen," came the equally soft reply, one that Poppy had to strain to hear. "You and Dad... you never listened to me. I could do this all along, you know. Even before I ran away."

"Why didn't you show us? During the Earthbending lessons, during the family walks..." Poppy shook her head in disbelief. "If you could do this all along, Toph, then..."

Her voice trailed off, and Toph took a deep breath, one that quivered in her throat.

"I had to honor the Bei Fong family," she finally spoke, the words foreign and uncertain in her mouth. "If I had shown you, you and Dad- you two would've been so disappointed in me. Remember that time I beat all those Earth Rumble guys- I mean, that one time I got captured?" Poppy nodded soundlessly, and Toph felt it, though she couldn't see. "You and Dad were ready to lock me up forever after that, but you just wanted to protect me. That's what you wanted to do all along: protect me." A faint smile played on her lips. "But you know I don't need it now."

"Why did you run away, then?" Poppy ventured quietly, almost afraid of the answer. "We didn't mean it as punishment, Toph, we just wanted you to be- to be _safe. _I thought you were happy here. We gave you everything you asked for!" Pain flooded her voice, and she shut her eyes. "And I was so proud of you, Toph. So proud to see you grow up and become a young lady… I just never thought you would be unhappy."

Guilt flooded Toph's heart, but she pushed it away. _I shouldn't feel guilty,_ she told herself. _She doesn't know. She doesn't know about me yet._

"Mom," she finally spoke, her voice unwavering. "You know that I'm not some fancy lady, and I don't think I can ever be. You saw me, didn't you? Just now? That's who I am." A quiet passion flooded her voice. "I'm good at Earthbending. It's the one thing in life that nobody can beat me at! And those times with Aang, Sokka and Katara... those were the best days of my life."

Not bothering to wait for a reply, Toph continued to speak, some unknown, hidden drive pushing her forward.

"I know this is really hard for you to believe, and I don't blame you. Before I left home, I had no idea what the world was like... what I was really capable of. I was able to do so many things, things I never dreamed I could do. I taught the Avatar Earthbending. I fought in the _war_, Mom. The front lines!"

Breathless, she paused for a moment to collect her thoughts. She sensed Poppy's disdain, and it took all the courage she had to keep on going.

"This is what I'd wanted all along," Toph finished. "To show people what I could do, and knowing that those same people wouldn't be disappointed in me. That's why I ran away. That's why Sokka and I were going to run away. But it's too late now, isn't it?"

Poppy didn't speak. Her eyes were fixed on her daughter with an intensity that was frightening to behold. Toph didn't dare break the silence, for fear that it would be another misstep. All the while, though, she was holding her breath, praying for acceptance, praying that her mother would let her go like her father had.

"Toph," Poppy finally muttered. Mute anger flashed in her olive eyes. "Toph, I can't believe this. Running away is enough, but fighting in the war... how could you?"

"But Mom," she protested weakly. Her voice took on a tone of desperation then, knowing that her mother would never understand. "Mom-"

"I thought I couldn't be more disappointed in you. The ball, the suitors, and now... now this!"

"Would you rather have me lie?" the Earthbender challenged without thinking. "Would you rather have me lie and say I love this life?"

"After we gave you everything, you went off to throw that all away, to fight in a war! It's unbelievable! Shameful!"

"I'm sorry," Toph retorted, tone heavy with frustration. "But the world needed my Earthbending. It needed _me_! When will you get it? When will you accept who I am and what I'm good at?"

"Young lady, I-"

"Earthbending isn't brutality. It's the way I see the world. I'm not weak if I have Earthbending. I'm not _blind_!"

"Toph!" Poppy clenched her eyes shut, unwilling to even look at her daughter. "Listen to me. I know who you are, and what you are capable of. I know that you can't stand high society. I know that you never want to set foot in this place again."

"No, it's not that," Toph began, the initial harshness gone from her voice. "It's nothing like that! I just want-"

"I need to know if you care, Toph. If you care at all about your father and me, what we've done for you."

"Of course I care," she muttered, though it felt like she was committing some great betrayal. "Why else would I have come back?"

"Then promise me, Toph. Never put yourself in danger. Never make us worry." Her eyes fluttered open and settled desperately on her daughter. "Never do this to us again."

Poppy's eyes were heavy with pain, and Toph was torn between pity and anger. Had her mother understood anything she had just told her? Had her mother cared about _her_? Mute with indecision, the adolescent took a deep breath and spoke.

"I can tell you that I'll never get hurt. I'll never make you worry about things like that. But I'll never, _ever_ give up Earthbending."

_--_

Mother and Daughter walked back to the manor, the silence heavy and unyielding between them. Mother was reunited with Father. Amidst protests and cries, Daughter turned back and left, knowing that nothing stood in her way anymore. There was one more thing to take care of.

_--_

When they had returned from the hideout, the lull of midnight had already cast silence over the entire city.

Mai said her goodbyes to Ty Lee and walked back to her estate. No questions or comments marred the quiet. Just the sight of the parchment, tied with black and already crumpled in Mai's hand, was enough for both of them.

The knife thrower had observed Ty Lee the entire night. No rebel had pulled her aside to give her the same piece of parchment, the same instructions. It was final.

Ty Lee was not part of the operation.

The sixteen-year-old had let the reality sink in. As soon as she told herself there was no escaping her duty, the less it would hurt in the end.

"Lady Mai."

The servants addressed her quickly as she stepped through the door. It was late at night- far beyond a proper lady's curfew- but if they were appalled at Mai's conduct, they were definitely making an admirable effort to conceal it. Mai told herself that she was untouchable, and there was nothing they could do to punish her.

She would be heading to the Earth Kingdom by morning.

Without hesitation, she shut the door behind her and headed briskly to her room. It would be a sleepless night, but she needed solace at the very least. Making sure none of the servants were trailing her, she made her way down the hallway, turned a sharp corner, and wrenched her bedroom door open with a swift turn of her wrist, shutting it with the same air of urgency.

Imbued in her thoughts and relishing in the open silence, she barely noticed the letter, tied with a ribbon of crimson silk, lying on her pillow.

_--_

As morning fell over the Earth Kingdom, a train flew into the city of Ba Sing Se.

Its destination was the Lower Ring, where the passengers would disperse and go their separate ways.

Its one passenger of interest was the prince of the Fire Nation.

Zuko couldn't glance one way without seeing the hard, scorning eyes of an Earth Kingdom citizen. All but scowling, he ignored the unpleasant scrutiny the other passengers were directing at him and cast his gaze out the windows, the blur of passing buildings a meager distraction from the tension in the air.

He had come to Ba Sing Se as a refugee before. That had been his first time riding on the train, and he had blent in perfectly. Nobody had paid any heed to his charred face- so many people had been hurt by Firebenders that it was a common sight. His dirty green rags had been enough to prove that he wasn't a threat, and with the ever-benevolent Iroh seated besides him, the prince of the Fire Nation had been reduced to a filthy, common peasant in the eyes of the world.

Now, Zuko sat in the lap of luxury. The seats were plush and covered in silk, shining emerald in the spring light. Rather than the musty, old smell of rotting wood or the constant wails of refugees, the cars that carried the wealthy and prominent into Ba Sing Se were spotless, stately, and awkwardly silent. The only sounds that marred the quiet were the rustle of silken robes and the occasional nobleman clearing his throat. And unlike his first time traveling into the city, where he had been hiding under the guise of a commoner, Zuko was fully clothed in Fire Nation regalia.

He was a sore thumb. A smudge of red in a world painted green. It was no wonder that all the passengers were keeping their distance.

"Prince Zuko," the escort to his left mumbled, breaking the silence. Though the other passengers feigned nonchalance, Zuko could tell that they were all on edge, listening and waiting for the Fire Nation prince to do something. "We should be approaching the Lower Ring in a matter of minutes."

If the passengers were anticipating an interesting response, they were abruptly disappointed. Rather than speaking, Zuko gave a curt nod in reply and fixated his attention back on the window, watching the world fly by in emerald hues. This did nothing to soothe his growing apprehension, however. The prince felt as if he were about to step into battle rather than face the ruler of the Earth Kingdom, and if granted the choice, he would've gladly chosen the former.

How could he face the Earth King, the leader of the very city he had crushed a year ago? How could he repay the city, apologize, when so many wrongs had been done and at least half of them hadn't been of his doing? Zuko was speaking for his nation, but his nation had a scornful voice. The Fire Nation still bitterly regretted losing the war, still considered their hold on Ba Sing Se their greatest military triumph. How was he to apologize for _that_? A growing dread grew in his chest, and Zuko resisted the urge to bury his head in his hands.

His only solace lay in the fact that Azula was a world away, locked up. Her malice couldn't touch him now.

A few more agonizing minutes passed before the train slowly screeched to a halt. The doors slid open, and the rest of the passengers stood and filed out swiftly, as if the air in the car was contaminated. Zuko watched the men and women drift away and whisper amongst themselves as they stepped into the station, probably relishing the thought of telling their friends of the morning's excitement.

_I'm still the enemy,_ he reminded himself bitterly. Apologizing to one man- to the Earth King- wouldn't be nearly enough to convince an entire nation that he was truly sorry. People formed their own opinions, after all. Who was he to change their minds?

He watched as the remainder of the passengers dispersed into the throng of people at the station, spots of emerald blending into a larger sea of green. He wondered how long it would take for the world to heal, for those people to heal. Rich or poor, they had all been touched by the war, even though Ba Sing Se had been blind to the damage for so long. That only meant the city had hurt the most when it finally fell.

"E-excuse me?"

Zuko glanced up, and met the eyes of one of the Earthbenders that drove the train into the city. His hands were rough and calloused, and his face tan and weathered. Despite his rugged appearance, though, the prince knew that the man was as apprehensive as the passengers on the car had been.

"Prince Zuko?" The man pressed after a moment. "We've approached-"

"I know." He interrupted quietly. "The Lower Ring. Thank you."

Seemingly unnerved by Zuko's calmness, the Earthbender paused for a moment, studying the young man and the two escorts that flanked either side of him. Prince or not, the boy didn't seem like much of a threat anymore. Some sort of compliance hid in his golden eyes. Maybe he had truly been humbled by the defeat of his nation.

Still, Prince Zuko had been instrumental in the downfall of Ba Sing Se. One could never be too careful around him.

"Will you be coming down now? They've provided an escort to the Upper Ring." The man continued then, trying to mask his discomfort with an air of neutrality. "The Earth King has been informed of your arrival, and your request to have an audience with him."

"Has everything gone well?"

"I should think so. We recently received a message from the Fire Lord regarding your visit." The man cleared his throat, noting with displeasure that Zuko evidently had no intention of moving. "We've prepared for your arrival according to his instructions. You'll have the opportunity to speak with the king whenever you're settled."

"And living arrangements?" An escort asked before Zuko had a chance to say anything. "What have you prepared for us?"

"I don't know," the man replied, a faint impatience taking the place of his earlier apprehension. "We need to turn this train around soon, though. We'll be late for the next trip." Meeting Zuko's gaze, the Earthbender tried to hide his growing annoyance with a false smile. "I assume you'd like to get off now?"

Taking the hint, Zuko finally stood up, gave the man a nod, and walked off the car, weariness in his steps. His escorts flanked him on either side, drawing even more attention to the strange procession.

"Enjoy your stay," the Earthbender called after the prince, evidently pleased to have done away with him. Exiting the car and slamming the door shut, he sighed and turned to the faces at the station, waiting for the next ride out of Ba Sing Se.

The Lower Ring was still full of war refugees, and many of them were lined up at the station, waiting for a way out of the city. They wanted to get back to their own towns, their cities, their homes. Remorse tinging Zuko's thoughts, he glanced at the destitute men and women standing in order, some carrying wailing children. All of them had a look of relief about them, as if they had gone through too many pains in too short a time.

He caught the eye of one of the women, who scowled at him and his escorts. The man next to her, presumably her husband, shot Zuko an icy stare and spat at the prince as he walked away from the train.

_I don't need this, _an inner voice gnawed at Zuko's thoughts. _I don't need this humiliation. _

His escorts directed him to the carriage that was to take him to the Upper Ring. The driver of the carriage, who stood beside one of the doors, paused for a moment.

"Prince Zuko, I presume?"

One of the escorts managed a response, and nodding with some reluctance, the driver held the door open, unsure how to behave around his peculiar passengers. Meeting Zuko's stare, the driver abruptly looked away, and waited until all the men had boarded the carriage before turning back and slamming the door shut.

_True humility is the only antidote to shame,_Iroh had said. It was only now that he realized exactly what his uncle had meant.

It seemed like an eternity ago, when he had sought for his father's approval. He had been stupid, unable to see past his anger. He had allowed himself to be manipulated by his sister, had allowed himself to be blinded by her lies.

Zuko watched as the carriage pulled out of the station, catching a last look at the line of refugees as they boarded their train home. He knew that it was like this everywhere, everywhere the war had touched. The same faces. The same humiliation. The same hope.

And for an instant, Iroh's words seared through him like fire.

_--_

_Mai,_

_Send Uncle my greetings._

_By this time you receive this, I'll probably be in Ba Sing Se. You remember what we did there. The people of the Earth Kingdom are strong-willed and stubborn. They never forget. This time, I'm a direct relation to the downfall of the city. I'll likely have a bad reception._

_I don't know what you want to hear, Mai, but I'm trying. I'm guessing, but to be honest, it gets harder and harder. We're miles apart, and I've all but forgotten what we used to say to each other. I feel as if I'm treading with caution every time I write to you._

_I guess I never really knew what to say to you, but I've never got a chance to_ know _you. When we were together, I know that we were happy. I've forgotten why._

_I know you well enough, though, to realize this. You need the truth about me. And it's made me realize that I need the truth about you._

_After I reached the North Pole, I realized something. All those years of tracking down the Avatar and trying to capture him... they've blinded me to what's real in this world. Back then, I was selfish. I didn't care about anybody but myself. It took me three years to realize that I was wrong for doing all those things, and three years for me to realize that I needed to change. And I have. I'm making up for what I did wrong by apologizing to the people I've hurt._

_If it's one thing I've learned, though, I've learned that love isn't about being selfish. And it's also made me realize that I was so selfish back then, when we were together._

_I wanted affection. I wanted acceptance. My father and my sister trusted me, but it was you that loved me. Up until then, I had forgotten what that had felt like. I wanted you because it felt like you actually wanted me. I don't know if you still do._

_I was happy back then. I was happy sitting with you, talking, going places, just being with you. But what if what I felt for you was nothing more than selfishness? What then? What if I was trying to fill some part of me that had been empty those last three years? What if I was just taking you for granted?_

_I can't figure it out myself. I never knew how to love, and I still don't know what it feels like. And I don't want to hurt you, never, but you can see past all those words and letters and... you need the truth._

_I don't know what to make of us anymore. Did I need you? Did I love you? Was it selfishness or was it real? _

_I don't know. But I'm sorry, Mai. For everything. _

_Zuko_

One letter was gripped in one hand, sealed with black, crumpling under the weight of reluctant acceptance. One letter was clutched in the other, tied in the deepest of reds, quivering with the agony of suppressed emotions.

For the first time in what seemed like an eternity, Mai felt completely torn apart. She couldn't tear her eyes away from Zuko's words, couldn't bring herself to turn away. She kept reading, kept staring, until she had forced herself to believe the truth. He was, without a doubt, in Ba Sing Se. She was traveling there under orders to _kill him._ And there he was, so painfully oblivious, still trying to appeal to her, never believing that she would be the one person told to end his life.

It was a sick, sick test of loyalty. Yet, one could never expect anything less from Azula.

By the time Mai had finally collapsed into the black of sleep, the pain had already pierced every nuance of her being.

_--_

When he came to his senses, he smelled dank, musty earth. It took a while for his eyes to adjust to the darkness, but there wasn't much to see. As far as he could remember, he had been dragged underground by something. Weariness tugged at his eyelids, and he found himself drawn back into the lull of sleep.

Appa grunted in the darkness, and then it all came crashing down on him again.

_Dai Li. Ambush. Bei Fongs. _

Toph_._

Sokka forced his eyes open, shock coursing through his mind. He had no idea how long he had been asleep- the entire estate could very well be under attack, and his heart leapt to think of it. A reassuring thought edged its way into his mind- how would some Dai Li agents, however many, manage to fend off the greatest Earthbender in the world?

He heard a faint shuffling on the ground above. He didn't know if the same Dai Li agent was still keeping watch, or if he had simply gone to join his comrades. The latter option wasn't too far-fetched. After all, the Dai Li agents he had met the other night probably thought escaping was inconceivable; there was no need for anyone to keep watch. Even so, he had to know. If Toph came to help and she got attacked...

"Hey!" he shouted into the silence, though it was against his better judgment. "Who's there?"

A short silence met his call. His heart raced in anticipation. Then-

"It's just me!" Came the muffled response. His eyes widened in shock, just as the voice continued. "Where the heck are you, Snoozles? We've got to get outta here!"

"Toph?" He called, voice heavy with disbelief. Before he could allow himself to feel relief, he remembered the Dai Li guards flanking the barn. A fierce anxiety gnawed at his mind, and he fixed his eyes desperately at the tiny crack on the ceiling. "Toph! I'm right underneath you. Hurry, you've gotta-"

Chains of earth shot out of the ground, winding across his jaw and binding his mouth shut. He tore at the confines and attempted at a shout, but his voice was nothing more than a muffle in the stifling silence. He could make out a faint, fuzzy outline above him- a Dai Li soldier, features obscured by darkness.

"Keep silent or the girl gets hurt," came the low, triumphant snarl. A boot forced Sokka's head to the floor, crushing his skull against the hard, frigid earth.

"Sokka?" Toph continued calling, oblivious to what had happened. "What do you mean? Where are you?"

She tensed as more vibrations ghosted the floor of the barn. There were so many of them, and it was incredibly difficult to pinpoint Sokka's. She recognized the fleeting, feather-light footfalls and scowled. _More_ Dai Li soldiers?

"Okay, Sokka, I have a feeling things are going to get rough," she called into the emptiness. "So a bit of help would be great..."

Before she could listen for a response, the spidery vibrations settled into tangible solidity around her. Toph was surrounded by a circle of ten Dai Li soldiers- more than she had fought off before. Biting her lip, she assessed her surroundings and realized that it would be incredibly difficult to fend them off alone. And there was Sokka, hidden somewhere in the barn, unable to lend his assistance. Apparently, he was just underneath her. _Underneath_ her?

So Sokka was underground. How clever of them.

"Listen," she called out, trying to buy some time. "I already wiped out half your team, so there's really no point in trying. Why are you here, anyways? I'm sure that Ba Sing Se's got plenty more stuff for you to steal."

A ripple of amusement coursed through the assembled men. Toph gritted her teeth- apparently, petty theft wasn't their motive.

"Isn't it obvious, little girl?" A solitary voice finally teased, a low, nearly inaudible murmur. She tensed at the sound, sensing a threat. "Two of the Avatar's friends, unguarded and alone at the Bei Fong estate? Would we really let this opportunity pass us by?"

"Yeah? What's your point?" She spat, her guard rising. "Azula's locked up for life. What do you think you'll get away with?" A menacing silence settled, and Toph could just envision the smirk on the soldier's face. Her fingers itched to Earthbend these idiots into oblivion, but she forced herself to stay still.

"Everything," came an amused chuckle. "Beyond this, the Resistance won't have a problem regaining what is rightfully ours. Victory will be imminent."

Sokka could only catch the faintest of phrases, but both him and Toph recognized the voice instantly. It was one they could never forget. The infamous head of the Dai Li. The traitor who once conspired with Azula to overthrow the Earth King himself.

Long Feng.

Sokka knew that Toph was in danger. The Dai Li agent that guarded him was unyielding, though, keeping the adolescent rooted to the ground. His body ached for relief, but attempting to lift his head and scream only encouraged his captor to kick him back onto the floor. He struggled to breathe, the thin air barely filtering through his nostils. He was suffocating under the iron grip of the chains.

Why hadn't Toph found him yet? He found himself becoming more and more desperate as the minutes wore on. An uneasy silence was flooding the air, sending his mind reeling with anxiety. _Toph!_ His mind screamed. _Toph! Do something!_

The Earthbender couldn't hear him, but the same feeling was filtering through her veins, sending the tips of her fingers trembling with suppressed energy. Mind set, she faced her opposition unflinchingly. "Alright, then," she found herself muttering. "I'd like to see you try."

As if on cue, five Dai Li agents barreled into the ground, tunneling under her feet at lightning speed. The remaining agents shot themselves into the air, drawing pillars from the ground and propelling themselves up with the force of the upward thrust. They simultaneously shot the pillars at Toph, attempting to crush her from all sides.

Reacting instantaneously, she drew a barrier around her and thrust the pillars away with her hands. She wasn't quick enough, though, to protect herself as the other five Dai Li shot up from the ground, knocking her to the floor as they torpedoed into her. She winced- Toph hadn't prepared for direct physical contact, and it hurt!

"You see, we've saved the best for last," came the taunt, though Toph didn't know where it came from. "Did you honestly expect to win against _us_?"

Clenching her teeth, she leapt to her feet, rooted them in the ground, and sent a giant wall of earth barreling at the Dai Li. It managed to knock a few Dai Li men down, but the rest simply jumped out of the way and landed, unfazed, on the ground. Aggravated, Toph halted the barreling wall of earth, whipped around to face the men, and drew tensed fingers across the air. The wall crumbled, and with a final thrust of her hands, the thirteen-year-old sent the pieces flying.

The attack wasn't quick enough to hit every soldier, though. Sensing the debris, the targeted Dai Li simply dove underground again, their vibrations nothing but muffled hums under her toes. With so many men coursing underneath the earth, it was incredibly difficult for Toph to pinpoint them. It seemed as if their agility was doubled underground, and seeing as the Dai Li were already swift enough, this wasn't a particularly good situation.

While Toph was left to fend for herself on the surface, Sokka was facing a different, more immediate dilemma underneath. The earth had been weakened by the Dai Li's tunneling, and he could see faint, branching cracks on the ceiling above. The soldier that had been ordered to keep him subdued seemed to notice the problem, but made no effort to correct it.

Realization hit the adolescent- the ground would cave in, crushing Sokka and forcing Toph to fall to the same death.

The earth trembled underneath Toph's feet, and she gritted her teeth, knowing that any attempt to uproot a Dai Li soldier might hurt Sokka in the process. If she was able to get the warrior out, she would have a much better chance at winning. Still, though, it would mean taking a huge risk- so many Earthbenders were down there, and she knew that the ground could collapse without warning.

She thought for a moment. If Sokka was underground, there had to be some source of air above that allowed him to breathe. She shut her eyes and tried to sense the layout of the barn, attempting to find an unnatural rift on the floor. There! A crack in the ground, only a few feet away from her!

Before she could attempt anything, towers of earth shot up around her, obstructing her movement. Five Dai Li soldiers jumped down from them and surrounded her, too close for her to Earthbend on. Without thinking, Toph shot a column of earth up underneath her feet, the upward force launching her into the air. Safely out of range, she thrust her hands together, forcing the pillars around the Dai Li together and crushing the men. Breathless, Toph landed swiftly on her feet and raced towards the rift in the earth, knowing that Sokka was underneath, Sokka was underneath-

And abruptly, the ground gave way.

She shrieked as the floor crumbled underneath her feet, sending her propelling into darkness. Chunks of jagged earth fell into the pocket of air underneath her, hurtling directly at Sokka and Appa. The Dai Li soldier guarding them simply tunneled away into the wall, leaving a terrified air bison and a wincing adolescent in his wake. Sokka clenched his eyes shut, not willing to look at the ceiling that was hurtling down at him, threatening to crush him any second-

But it didn't. The rumbling receded into silence, and he opened one eye, not even daring to feel relieved yet. He saw nothing, not even the faintest hint of light. In the seconds that followed, he also discovered that he couldn't _breathe_.

"Sokka? Sokka, are you okay?" Came the muffled shout, riddled with anxiety. He attempted at a shout, but remembered that chains still kept his mouth sealed. Appa took the hint, though, and gave a desperate, frightening groan. An abrupt square of light shot down from above, and the adolescent's eyes widened, seeing Toph's relieved face peering down at him.

She leapt down without a word. Muttering incoherently to herself, the Earthbender tore at Sokka's bindings with a primal swiftness, anxiety still pounding in her heart. Not knowing why she was so upset, Sokka focused on nothing but the sheer pleasure he felt at being free. Her deft fingers sliced the chains that covered his face, and he gulped down deep, dank breaths of musty air. Toph eyed him with impatience as he staggered to his feet, her voice still shaky from fear.

"Listen, Snoozles. I was able to shield you and Appa this time, but I can't do it again. We've got to get out of here before-" The two winced simultaneously as the ceiling cracked. "-Before everything really _does_ crash down on us."

"But how did you- how-" He shut up, cowering at the frightening glare the Earthbender shot at him. "Okay, never mind, never mind."

Toph worked on Appa next, tearing down the juts of earth that locked his feet in place. She jabbed her finger at the bison, mind working too quickly for her to catch her breath. "We need to take him outta here. The earth's too unstable for us to tunnel our way out, so Appa needs to break through the ceiling for us. It's the only way."

"Appa?" He shot back, eyes wide with disbelief. "He's not strong enough!"

"Didn't he fly through the wall of the Western Air Temple that one time?" She challenged. "Sokka, I can't Earthbend us out without having everything collapse on our heads! If anyone can break through quickly enough, it's Appa. We need to get on."

The two clambered aboard the bison's saddle without a second thought. Sokka sat hesitantly, unsure of the plan but unable to think of a better one. Glancing back worriedly at Toph, he took a deep breath and shouted:

"Appa, yip yip!"

The bison gave a guttural groan and rose upwards, slamming his head against the ceiling. Sokka's eyes widened as the crack branched out to form newer ones, the earth above buckling with weight.

"Toph, you sure this is a good idea?"

"It's the only one I can think of! I'll try to deflect everything that falls down, but-" She bit her lip as the cracking intensified. "We just need to get out of here now, or we won't even have a chance!"

"Fine." He turned back to watch Appa, who was slamming recklessly at the ceiling. He held his breath, just waiting for everything to tumble down on their heads. How had they gotten themselves into this mess? What would happen if they failed? The ceiling buckled, and Sokka clenched his eyes shut, unable to look-

And without warning, the bison shot through the earth, rocky debris falling around the passengers like hail. He yelped as chunks of rock pelted his body, shielding his face with his arms. Toph simply deflected the pieces that came at her, much to his dismay.

"Hey!" He shouted. "Didn't you say you would shield us?"

"I only said I would deflect everything that falls down," she shot back. "And I am!"

"On _you_!" He complained. Yet, the barrage of rocks stopped as soon as it came, and he flinched at the sudden flash of light that met his eyes. They were ascending steadily upwards, leaving the barn far behind them, crashing through the roof-

"We just crashed through the roof," he confirmed, glancing down at the wreck that now constituted the Bei Fong barn. Toph rolled her eyes, the faintest hints of a smile playing at her lips.

"Yeah. I bet my parents really hate you now."

_--_

No words were exchanged when Toph and Sokka stumbled their way back to the manor. Nobody made an effort to break the quiet, but neither adolescent seemed to care. The silence made them feel at ease.

The spring breeze whipped across the garden, rustling the leaves that hung crookedly from the trees. Crinkled petals danced in slow ellipses at their ankles, quivering in the wind. They walked as if time had no end, their feet sore and worn against the cold of the pavement.

Sokka stole a glance at Toph. There was something pained in the way she held herself, as if there was an invisible wound piercing her inside. There was a certain heaviness to her step, a burden in her every movement. He was beginning to wish they had taken Appa instead of letting him rest on the outskirts of the manor.

But Toph was radiant, he noticed. Uncommonly radiant. Her cheeks were flushed pink, and her ebony hair hung loosely around her lithe frame. He caught the beginnings of a smile tugging at her lips, the closest thing to happiness he had sensed from her all day. She had missed Earthbending. It brought joy to her, a joy that could never be reciprocated in a life amidst high society.

They regarded each other for a split-second before walking again, feet falling on the ground in unison.

The two walked on as night fell, their footsteps beating a steady rhythm on the cool, dark earth. The manor was just before them, and Toph sighed, knowing that she still had her parents to deal with. No doubt they were infuriated at her for going out to save Sokka. It was alright with her, though. It had been worth it.

But something was wrong.

The realization of this sent a shock wave coursing through her heart. "Sokka," she managed. "Look ahead. Do you see anything?" She was hoping that her feet had deceived her, and that nothing had happened at all.

Bemused, the adolescent peered ahead into the darkness, saw nothing but the usual shapes of the manor. "Doesn't look like it. Why? Do you feel-"

He stopped short, his heart going numb. Before them lay an entire mass of Dai Li soldiers, using the shadows as their cover. The entire front of the Bei Fong manor was swarmed with them, and he had no doubt that there were more inside. He instinctively felt for his sword and boomerang, both carefully tucked into his possession after they had freed Appa.

"Sokka," Toph pressed, a new anxiety fresh in her voice. "What? Is anything wrong?"

He could only nod silently as he stared into the sea of emerald-clad soldiers, all poised to attack.

_--_

Dawn fell over the Fire Nation, painting the sky in hues of crimson and gold. A lone ship sailed away from the harbor. An adolescent girl, on the verge of womanhood, watched as the Palace City slipped from her view and became nothing more than a blur of color.

_I'm going to go through with this,_ she told herself, agony constricting her heart and refusing to let go. _I'm going to do this._

She let all traces of emotion fall like a stone, spiraling through the misty morning air and sinking, silently, into the depths of the frigid water.

_End of Part Two_

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_**Author's Note:** To Davis 51: you are my absolute HERO. If you liked this chapter, it's all thanks to him. Heap praise upon him, and remember him when he's famous. _

_To the readers I've neglected: throw virtual rocks at me next time I fail to update for six months. Pelt tomatoes at me and call upon Toph's wrath. Threaten me with badly-written Zutara fanfiction. ANYTHING to get me going again, to get me writing! I'm sorry for the huge wait, and while I can't assure you that it'll never happen again, you can probably figure out some ways to push my lazy self back to work._

_I could never have finished Part Two without my ever-so-wonderful editor and you brilliant, indescribably amazing reviewers and readers. Thanks so much for being there!_


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